t and to your best ability," answers the gentleman,
"and please send it home when done."

The two visitors make their departure and then James is called for a
moment by his chief, "Hi! James, just look at this bit of repairing."

The assistant takes the violin in his hands, looks over it and laughs.
"Not trained properly, sir, at mending; what a plaster it has got
underneath the bridge! and there's a large one underneath the post too;
there's strength there if nothing else."

"Well, James, we must get both of those out and put something in more
to the purpose, the gentleman wants it done well and we must make it
sound properly to please him and his daughter. From the manner in which
those patches are inserted and their thickness--they are stouter than
the tables themselves--there would be very little tone. Well I never!
they've glued the sound post in."

This discovery caused a good laugh from both. "We must have the upper
table off at once, James," continued the chief. "But how about the post,
sir?" interposes his assistant; "it looks as if it will hold on tight."
"Well, you must take a fine chisel and work it in two before you commence
the opening."

James retires to his corner, and taking up a small chisel stuck in a
short handle of his own fitting, he inserts it carefully through the
right sound-hole, chipping the post gradually down one side, then
turning the violin round on the cushion, he works away at the post
through the other, and although from the extra distance from this, the
chisel has a weaker hold, there is less substance to work through, the
greater part having been worked away at the first attack.

The way is now clear for removing the upper table, which James does
after some trouble in working his knife along between the edging and
the upper part of the ribs, in consequence of the glueing having been
done with a bountiful hand, and the parts pressed together tightly,
so much so as to show very distinctly where the screw cramps had been
wound up.

The exposed interior is brought before the gaze of the chief, who looks
at it for a while, then remarks, "Very bad, but I have seen the like
often before, and suppose will do so many times again.

"Give it a cleaning, James, they've fastened the plaster on to the dirty
wood, and I expect the hold is very slight if at all in parts."

"No, sir, I tapped it about, and found some hollow spaces that would
admit my small knife; the plaster had not been cut