cies." One can
fancy the scornful laughter of Berlioz at hearing this verdict. But his
Italian life was not altogether purposeless. He revised his "Symphonie
Fantastique," and wrote its sequel, "Lelio," a lyrical monologue, in
which he aimed to express the memories of his passion for the beautiful
Miss Smithson. These two parts comprised what Berlioz named "An Episode
in the Life of an Artist." Our composer managed to get the last six
months of his Italian exile remitted, and his return to Paris was
hastened by one of those furious paroxysms of rage to which such
ill-regulated minds are subject. He had adored Miss Smithson as a
celestial divinity, a lovely ideal of art and beauty, but this had not
prevented him from basking in the rays of the earthly Venus. Before
leaving Paris he had had an intrigue with a certain Mile. M------,
a somewhat frivolous and unscrupulous beauty, who had bled his not
overfilled purse with the avidity of a leech. Berlioz heard just before
returning to Paris that the coquette was about to marry, a conclusion
one would fancy which would have rejoiced his mind. But, no! he was
worked to a dreadful rage by what he considered such perfidy! His one
thought was to avenge himself. He provided himself with three loaded
pistols--one for the faithless one, one for his rival, and one for
himself--and was so impatient to start that he could not wait for
passports. He attempted to cross the frontier in women's clothes, and
was arrested. A variety of _contretemps_ occurred before he got to
Paris, and by that time his rage had so cooled, his sense of the
absurdity of the whole thing grown so keen, that he was rather willing
to send Mile. M------his blessing than his curse.

About the time of Berlioz's arrival, Miss Smithson also returned
to Paris after a long absence, with the intent of undertaking the
management of an English theatre. It was a necessity of our composer's
nature to be in love, and the flames of his ardor, fed with fresh fuel,
blazed up again from their old ashes. Berlioz gave a concert, in which
his "Episode in the Life of an Artist" was interpreted in connection
with the recitations of the text. The explanations of "Lelio" so
unmistakably pointed to the feeling of the composer for herself, that
Miss Smithson, who by chance was present, could not be deceived, though
she never yet had seen Berlioz. A few days afterward a benefit concert
was arranged, in which Miss Smithson's troupe was to tak