with but one string. This story was told in order to account for his
wonderful one-stringed performances, and it was absolutely untrue, but
the time allotted by rumour to his supposed imprisonment coincided with
the period which was really occupied with this romance.

At the end of three years he resumed his travels and his violin playing,
returning to Genoa in 1804, where he set to work on some compositions.
At this time he became interested in a little girl, Catarina Calcagno,
to whom he gave lessons on the violin. She was then about seven years of
age, and a few years later she became well known as a concert violinist.

Paganini did not remain long in Genoa, for the following year found him
wandering again, and another love affair in Lucca led to the composition
of a piece to be played on two strings, the first and the fourth: the
first to express the sentiments of a young girl, and the fourth the
passionate language of her lover. The performance of this extremely
expressive composition was rewarded by the most languishing glances from
his lady-love in the audience, but the most important result was that
the Princess Elise Bacchiochi, sister of Napoleon, declared to him that
he had performed impossibilities. "Would not a single string suffice for
your talent?" she asked. Paganini was delighted, and shortly afterward
composed his military sonata entitled "Napoleon," which is performed on
the G string only.

At Ferrara he once nearly lost his life through unwittingly trampling
upon the susceptibilities of the people, in the following manner. It
appears that the peasantry in the suburbs of Ferrara bore ill-will
toward the citizens of that town and called them "asses." This little
pleasantry was manifested by the suburbanites in "hee-hawing" at the
citizens when fitting opportunity presented itself. Now it happened that