that is not broken; I did not see it at first
as the light was going in the same direction; we can put that right
again for you."--"Here, James!" he calls out, "just look at this; is
it past our mending?" James casts his eye over it for a second or two,
and says, "No sir, I've done up that kind o' thing over and over again."
Then, turning to the owner, "Two against one, you see."

The amateur looks at the instrument with great earnestness for a moment
or two, then observes: "You will have, I suppose, to take it all to
pieces to do that kind of repair, eh?"

"Oh no," replied the chief, "we shall close that up without undoing
any part of it except taking the strings and sound-post away." At this
moment he has inserted the post-setter and pushed the post a little,
which proceeding causes the back to open wider, the mouth of the owner
opening widely also, accompanied by an increase in the general
appearance of anguish.

"There now," says the repairer, "just that little extra pressure from
the sound-post enables us to see how far the opening extends; it is
not all the way along, and there does not appear to be anything to
prevent it coming together evenly again."

The chief now dexterously, with the point of the "setter," takes the
sound-post out, the owner looking on with some amount of astonishment.

"You call in the day after to-morrow, sir, and I hope you will find
it as right as ever."

These words have a cheering effect on the owner. "You are sure that
will not be too soon," he observes. "Oh no," replies the other, "we
shall put three or four studs along the centre, inside, and that will
prevent it going again."

"But how," rejoins the owner, "are you going to put studs along the
joint inside without opening the instrument?"--he was getting
interested.

"Well, you leave that to us, sir, and we will tell you afterwards."
This was said in consequence of a fear that the amateur would be using
the time of the establishment, and as a result the amateur and owner
walked away satisfied.

CHAPTER XVII.

INSERTION OF STUDS ALONG THE JOINT INSIDE WITHOUT OPENING THE
VIOLIN--LINING OR VENEERING A THIN BACK.

At the appointed time, not any earlier, the amateur makes his
appearance, inquiring somewhat anxiously as to whether the violin was
finished, or more precisely speaking from fear, whether the repairer
had succeeded in restoring the instrument to playing order? "Oh, yes,"
is the response, "and goes bette