It was in the year 1840 that I overcame my scruples, and, emerging from my long retirement, gave my first public concert in the ' Salle Erard.' Alard and Franchomme assisted me, and the pro- gramme opened with Beethoven's trio in B flat. I had hardly played a few bars when I noticed that the pedals had been unhinged and would not act. There was no help for it, and I had to play to the end of the trio without them, after which a few minutes sufficed to set matters right. The consequence of this untoward accident was that all the critics praised me for my judicious and sparing use of the loud pedal, and this reputation clung to me in Paris ever afterwards, although undeservedly so. I was much flattered to see Liszt, Chopin, and Meyerbeer amongst the audience, and felt deeply grateful to them for thus encouraging a young artist on his debut. The concert was successful, and from that moment my public appearances multiplied, my name became known, and the number of my pupils increased constantly. << less