late.
Musset's mother, having been informed of her son's projected tour to
Italy, begged him to give it up. The poet promised to comply with
her request: "If one must weep, it shall not be you," he said. In the
evening George Sand came in a carriage to the door and asked for Madame
Musset; the latter came out, and after a short interview gave her
consent to her son's departure. Chopin's unsuccessful wooing of Miss
Wodzinska and her marriage with Count Skarbek in this year (1837) may
not have been without effect on the composer. His heart being left
bruised and empty was as it were sensitised (if I may use this
photographic term) for the reception of a new impression by the action
of love. In short, the intimacy between Chopin and George Sand grew
steadily and continued to grow till it reached its climax in the autumn
of 1838, when they went together to Majorca. Other matters, however,
have to be adverted to before we come to this passage of Chopin's life.
First I shall have to say a few words about his artistic activity during
the years 1837 and 1838.

Among the works composed by Chopin in 1837 was one of the Variations
on the March from I Puritani, which were published under the title
Hexameron: Morceau de Concert. Grandes variations de bravoure sur la
marche des Puritains de Bellini, composees pour le concert de Madame la
Princesse Belgiojoso au benefice des pauvres, par M.M. Liszt, Thalberg,
Pixis, H. Herz, Czerny, et Chopin. This co-operative undertaking was
set on foot by the Princess, and was one of her many schemes to procure
money for her poor exiled countrymen. Liszt played these Variations
often at his concerts, and even wrote orchestral accompaniments to them,
which, however, were never published.

Chopin's publications of the year 1837 are: in October, Op. 25, Douze
Etudes, dedicated to Madame la Comtesse d'Agoult; and in December, Op.
29, Impromptu (in A flat major), dedicated to Mdlle. la Comtesse de
Lobau; Op. 30, Quatre Mazurkas, dedicated to Madame la Princesse de
Wurtemberg, nee Princesse Czartoryska; Op. 31, Deuxieme Scherzo (B flat
minor), dedicated to Mdlle. la Comtesse Adele de Furstenstein; and Op.
32, Deux Nocturnes (B major and A flat major), dedicated to Madame la
Baronne de Billing. His publications of the year 1838 are: in October,
Op. 33, Quatre Mazurkas, dedicated to Mdlle. la Comtesse Mostowska; and,
in December, Op. 34, Trois Valses brillantes (A flat major, A minor, and
F major), respe