mination; this is put
aside so that it may be strung up properly, when it will probably give
out some distinct evidence of internal wrong, if not of some external
injury, which being fresh and clean is not easily affected by mere
tapping.

In the midst of his meditations over the different possibilities, a
gentleman enters accompanied by a young lady, probably his daughter,
who carries a violin case. He enters upon his subject at once,
saying:--"I have brought a violin for your inspection, it was left
behind by a friend who went abroad some time back and he lately wrote
over saying that my daughter might find it useful, as he had been told
by his father that it was at one time an instrument with excellent
sounding qualities. He is not a player and he kept it shut up for a
long time and seemingly forgot all about it. We of course soon got the
case from its hiding place, opened it and took the violin out. My
daughter here found two strings had snapped and put on others. When
she tried it with her bow, however, most unpleasant sounds came out.
My daughter proposed that it should be taken to a shop in our
neighbourhood where she gets her music; she says they are very nice
people, and so she took it there and they told her 'it would be put
in order by the next morning,' which of course seemed very prompt. My
daughter has tried it since it came home, but it seems to have even
less sound than before."

"Let me have a look at it, please," says our chief. The violin is at
once taken out of the case by the young lady and handed to him. The
chief looks over it, turns it about once or twice, and asks: "Did you
put this into the hands of a repairer who professed any knowledge of
violins?" The answer is--"Well, the people that my daughter took it
to said they had intrusted the violin to their best pianoforte repairer,
who had worked in one of the principal manufactories in London." The
chief observes: "A piano is very different to a violin, sir; the
repairer of one has to deal with curved surfaces, and wood of two kinds
only, the other with flat ones and other woods and metals." "I hope
the treatment has not ruined the instrument, can it be restored, will
it be of much value?" says the gentleman. "Well, it is not of much value
as a musical instrument in its present condition, but when properly
restored would command a considerable price. The restoration will cost
some pounds and be a fairly good investment."

"You had better do i