ire for its magnificence and
grandeur. To Brzezina's music-shop he paid a visit every day, without
finding there, however, anything new, except a Concerto by Pixis, which
made no great impression upon him. That Chopin was little satisfied with
his situation may be gathered from the following remarks of his:--

You cannot imagine how sad Warsaw is to me; if I did not feel
happy in my home circle I should not like to live here. Oh,
how bitter it is to have no one with whom one can share joy
and sorrow; oh, how dreadful to feel one's heart oppressed
and to be unable to express one's complaints to any human
soul! You know full well what I mean. How often do I tell my
piano all that I should like to impart to you!

Of course the reader, who is in the secret, knows as well as Titus knew,
to whom the letter was addressed, that Chopin alludes to his love. Let
us mark the words in the concluding sentence about the conversations
with his piano. Chopin was continually occupied with plans for going
abroad. In October, 1829, he writes that, wherever fate may lead him, he
is determined not to spend the winter in Warsaw. Nevertheless, more
than a year passed away before he said farewell to his native city. He
himself wished to go to Vienna, his father seems to have been in favour
of Berlin. Prince Radziwill and his wife had kindly invited him to come
to the Prussian capital, and offered him apartments in their palais. But
Chopin was unable to see what advantages he could derive from a stay in
Berlin. Moreover, unlike his father, he believed that this invitation
was no more than "de belles paroles." By the way, these remarks of
Chopin's furnish a strong proof that the Prince was not his patron and
benefactor, as Liszt and others have maintained. While speaking of his
fixed intention to go somewhere, and of the Prince's invitation,
Chopin suddenly exclaims with truly Chopinesque indecision and
capriciousness:--

But what is the good of it all? Seeing that I have begun so
many new works, perhaps the wisest thing I can do is to stay
here.

Leaving this question undecided, he undertook in October, 1829, a
journey to Posen, starting on the 20th of that month. An invitation from
Prince Radziwill was the inducement that led him to quit the paternal
roof so soon after his return to it. His intention was to remain only a
fortnight from home, and to visit his friends, the Wiesiolowskis, on the
way to Antonin. C