Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

LISZT 99
I have been told, by one or two who knew him well,
there was nothing he disliked more than timidity
and shyness—that pluck, and even a little boldness,
were passports to his favour ; and as I knew that Miss
Goodwin had a perfect mastery over her powers as a
performer, I told her that, if I were in her place, I
would bring a whole roll of pieces the next afternoon,
and instead of holding back, as if I had been either
offended, or piqued, or rebuffed, I would just place
myself right in Liszt's way close by the piano, and
look as if I thought he would wish and expect me to
play all the pieces I had brought with me. The
result proved the correctness of my observation, for
when Liszt saw Miss Goodwin with a smiling face
and her roll of music, his whole face broadened into a
' most genial and pleasant smile. What a number of
pieces you have brought with you, my dear child !' in
a tone of good-natured banter ;
' do you mean to play
all these to me?' he said. 'Dear Meister, as. many
as you wish me to,' was the reply. He was delighted
with the pleasant way she had accepted his rough-
and-ready treatment on the last occasion, and allowed
her to play two or three of the pieces, and she became
one of his especial favourites.
There were several other very clever pianists at
these reunions ; and a good many likewise concerning
whom one could not but ask one's self how they ever
presumed to be there—how they ventured to think of
.playing before Liszt ! I shall, of course, mention