terror over his parents' safety. A thousand times he thought of
renouncing his artistic ambitions and rushing to Poland to fight
for his country. He never did, and his indecision--it was not
cowardice--is our gain. Chopin put his patriotism, his wrath and
his heroism into his Polonaises. That is why we have them now,
instead of Chopin having been the target of some black-browed
Russian. Chopin was psychically brave; let us not cavil at the
almost miraculous delicacy of his organization. He wrote letters
to his parents and to Matuszyriski, but they are not despairing--
at least not to the former. He pretended gayety and had great
hopes for the future, for he was living entirely on means
supplied him by his father. News of Constantia gladdened him, and
he decided to go to Italy, but the revolution early in 1831
decided him for France. Dr. Malfatti was good to him and cheered
him, and he managed to accomplish much social visiting. The
letters of this period are most interesting. He heard Sarah
Heinefetter sing, and listened to Thaiberg's playing of a
movement of his own concerto. Thalberg was three years younger
than Chopin and already famous. Chopin did not admire him:
"Thalberg plays famously, but he is not my man...He plays forte
and piano with the pedals but not with the hand; takes tenths as
easily as I do octaves, and wears studs with diamonds."

Thalberg was not only too much of a technician for Chopin, but he
was also a Jew and a successful one. In consequence, both poet
and Pole revolted.

Hummel called on Frederic, but we hear nothing of his opinion of
the elder man and his music; this is all the more strange,
considering how much Chopin built on Hummel's style. Perhaps that