Books › The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925 › scan 55
Scan 55
The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1them up one by one to see what they were. "Nothing worth looking at here," said Nicholas, "the Master keeps all the fine instruments downstairs." "You must turn out a lot of 'cellos in a year," said I, "you were generally at work on one when I saw you in the old shop." "Yes," answered Nicholas, "I make a lot and the Master varnishes and mounts them. He has gained a reputation for 'cellos and they are considered by some to have even better tones than those of his brother." "That's surely a large one over there," I said, pointing to one which stood against the wall with its table outwards, "and its ff's are beautifully cut and shaped. You are improving, Nicholas, in your old age; but why did you make it so large and has M. Vuillaume altered the tint of his varnish or has it still to get a coat or two?" He smiled and shook his head, "No, no," he said, "that is not one of our make at all; it is an old French one and looks, I think, like a Nicholas of Paris." I thereupon rose to get a closer look at it. It had only its fingerboard on, no other mounting, which had caused me to think it new at the distance I was from it.
3To my great surprise I found it to be a splendid large-sized Strad. of the early period, in good condition, with a coat of yellow-brownish varnish. I said nothing to Nicholas about the maker, but asked if he knew who the owner was. He did not, and we passed on to other topics until I heard M. Vuillaume coming in, when I went downstairs.
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