r, and one part seems as good as another. "Stop a moment," says
his companion, "let's have another look inside, maybe we shall see how
the worms have been going about by the light passing through."

It is taken again to a window; the sun fortunately is streaming in and
so enables master and man to proceed under favourable conditions. The
dealer patiently turns the violin about so that the rays of the sun
may penetrate wherever possible through the material; after a while
he hands the violin to his workman--"you have a look, James, I cannot
see any traces--I don't think the worm has gone very far, seemingly
only a short distance from the opening." James looking again, and
coming to the same conclusion, the violin is again taken to the
operating table and the knife taken in hand.

CHAPTER X.

WAYS OF REMOVING THE UPPER TABLE AND THE NECK--CLEANSING THE
INTERIOR--PRESERVATION OF THE ORIGINAL LABEL--CLOSING OF CRACKS IN
UPPER TABLE.

I recollect many years back, when in company with a violinist of some
note, we were talking over various details in connection with the
reparation and regulation of violins of a high class, particularly
those of the great masters. The fact of so many fine instruments having
fractures of the same kind and in the same position was remarked as
being curious, why so numerous as to form a very large majority? Well,
said the professor, at one time cracks were really fashionable, and
an instrument well endowed with them was thought to emit its tone more
freely, especially if it had been somewhat stiff before. This might
account for some, but not so many coming from all parts, I observed,
from their similarity I am inclined to their being due to one principal
cause, that of carelessness on the part of repairers in former times
and some even of the present. It is through hurry or want of method
in removing the upper table, should it be necessary. A repairer once
confessed to me that he had sometimes caused these fractures in his
impetuousness while going through this preliminary; his excuse was one
frequently made for all sorts of bad work, clumsiness and want of
judgment, that people would not pay for proper time and care being
expended, and so when he cracked the front while taking it off, he glued
it up again.

As generally is the case, more than one method can be pursued for
removal of the upper table. A somewhat original one was recommended
to me once as being very successful and caus