before long fall fast asleep.

When Frederick had got to this part of the story he began to play
softer and softer, and ever softer, till his auditors, like the
robbers, were fast asleep. Noticing this he stole out of the
room, called in the other inmates of the house, who came carrying
lights with them, and then with a tremendous, crashing chord
disturbed the sweet slumbers of the evil-doers.

Here we have an instance of "la richesse de son improvisation,"
by which, as Fontana tells us, Chopin, from his earliest youth,
astonished all who had the good fortune to hear him. Those who
think that there is no salvation outside the pale of absolute
music, will no doubt be horror-stricken at the heretical tendency
manifested on this occasion by an otherwise so promising
musician. Nay, even the less orthodox, those who do not
altogether deny the admissibility of programme-music if it
conforms to certain conditions and keeps within certain limits,
will shake their heads sadly. The duty of an enthusiastic
biographer, it would seem, is unmistakable; he ought to justify,
or, at least, excuse his hero--if nothing else availed, plead his
youth and inexperience. My leaving the poor suspected heretic in
the lurch under these circumstances will draw upon me the
reproach of remissness; but, as I have what I consider more
important business on hand, I must not be deterred from
proceeding to it by the fear of censure.

The year 1825 was, in many respects, a memorable one in the life
of Chopin. On May 27 and June 10 Joseph Javurek, whom I mentioned
a few pages back among the friends of the Chopin family, gave two