tle sheet of paper. His
handwriting remained almost unknown to most of his friends. It
is said that he sometimes deviated from this habit in favour
of his fair compatriots settled at Paris, of whom some are in
possession of charming autographs of his, all written in
Polish. This breach of what one might have taken as a rule may
be explained by the pleasure he took in speaking his language,
which he employed in preference, and whose most expressive
idioms he delighted in translating to others. Like the Slaves
generally, he mastered the French language very well;
moreover, owing to his French origin, it had been taught him
with particular care. But he accommodated himself badly to it,
reproaching it with having little sonority and being of a cold
genius.

[FOOTNOTE: Notwithstanding his French origin, Chopin spoke
French with a foreign accent, some say even with a strong
foreign accent. Of his manner of writing French I spoke when
quoting his letters to Franchomme (see Vol. I., p. 258).]

Liszt's account of Chopin's bizarrerie is in the main correct, although
we have, of course, to make some deduction for exaggeration. In fact,
Gutmann told me that his master sometimes began a letter twenty times,
and finally flung down the pen and said: "I'll go and tell her [or
"him," as the case might be] myself."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CHOPIN AS A TEACHER: HIS SUCCESS OR WANT OF SUCCESS AS SUCH; HIS PUPILS,
AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL; METHOD OF TEACHING; AND TEACHING REPERTOIRE.

As Chopin rarely played in public and could not make a comfortable
living by his compositions, there remained nothing for him but to teach,
which, indeed, he did till his strength forsook him. But so far from
regarding teaching as a burden, says his pupil Mikuli, he devoted
himself to it with real pleasure. Of course, a teacher can only
take pleasure in teaching when he has pupils of the right sort. This
advantage, however, Chopin may have enjoyed to a greater extent than
most masters, for according to all accounts it was difficult to be
received as a pupil--he by no means gave lessons to anyone who asked for
them. As long as he was in fair health, he taught during the season from
four to five hours a day, in later years only, or almost only, at home.
His fee for a lesson was twenty francs, which were deposited by the
pupil on the mantelpiece.

Was Chopin a good teacher? His pupils without exception most positivel