26o                              LIFE  OF   CHOPIN.

mingled with the well-known faces, there were some
that he had not seen before.

The party had broken up into groups, talking,
with French grace and vivacit}^, of the theatre,
literature, politics and the events of the day. In
a humour for listening rather than talking, Chopin
sat down in a corner of the room and watched the
beautiful forms passing before him, for many charm¬
ing women frequented Countess C.'s.

When part of the company had gone and only the
intimate friends of the hostess remained, Chopin,
who was in the mood for weaving musical fairy
tales, (Marchen) sat down to the piano and impro¬
vised. His hearers, whom in his absorption he had
quite forgotten, listened breathlessly. When he had
finished he looked up, and saw a simply dressed lady
leaning on the instrument and looking at him with
her dark passionate eyes as if she would read his
soul. Chopin felt himself blushing under her fasci¬
nating gaze; she smiled slightly, and when he retired
behind a group of camelias he heard the rustling of
a silk dress, and perceived the odour of violets. The
lady who had looked at him so inquiringly while he
was at the piano was'approaching with Liszt. In a
deep musical voice she said a few words about his
playing, and then spoke about the subject of his
iniprovisation. Frederic felt moved and flattered.
Undoubtedly the highest reward of the poet and
artist is to find themselves understood ; and while
listening to the sparkHng intellectual eloquence and