John was excited at his discovery, and felt his thoughts confused in a
manner that I have often experienced myself on the unexpected receipt of
news interesting me deeply, whether for pleasure or pain. Yet at the
same time he was half amused at his own excitement, feeling that it
was childish to be moved over an event so simple as the finding of a
violin in an old cupboard. He soon collected himself and took up the
instrument, using great care, as he feared lest age should have rendered
the wood brittle or rotten. With some vigorous puffs of breath and a
little dusting with a handkerchief he removed the heavy outer coating
of cobwebs, and began to see more clearly the delicate curves of the
body and of the scroll. A few minutes' more gentle handling left the
instrument sufficiently clean to enable him to appreciate its chief
points. Its seclusion from the outer world, which the heavy accumulation
of dust proved to have been for many years, did not seem to have damaged
it in the least; and the fact of a chimney-flue passing through the wall
at no great distance had no doubt conduced to maintain the air in the
cupboard at an equable temperature. So far as he was able to judge, the
wood was as sound as when it left the maker's hands; but the strings
were of course broken, and curled up in little tangled knots. The body
was of a light-red colour, with a varnish of peculiar lustre and
softness. The neck seemed rather longer than ordinary, and the scroll
was remarkably bold and free.
The violin which my brother was in the habit of using was a fine
_Pressenda_, given to him on his fifteenth birthday by Mr. Thoresby, his
guardian. It was of that maker's later and best period, and a copy of
the Stradivarius model. John took this from its case and laid it side by
side with his new discovery, meaning to compare them for size and form.
He perceived at once that while the model of both was identical, the
superiority of the older violin in every detail was so marked as to
convince him that it was undoubtedly an instrument of exceptional value.
The extreme beauty of its varnish impressed him vividly, and though he
had never seen a genuine Stradivarius, he felt a conviction gradually
gaining on him that he stood in the presence of a masterpiece of that
great maker. On looking into the interior he found that surprisingly
little dust had penetrated into it, and by blowing through the
sound-holes he soon cleared it sufficiently to enable him to discern a
label. He put the candle close to him, and held the violin up so that
a little patch of light fell through the sound-hole on to the label.
His heart leapt with a violent pulsation as he read the characters,
"_Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis faciebat_, 1704." Under ordinary
circumstances it would naturally be concluded that such a label was
a forgery, but the conditions were entirely altered in the case of a
violin found in a forgotten cupboard, with proof so evident of its
having remained there for a very long period.
He was not at that time as familiar with the history of the fiddles of
the great maker as he, and indeed I also, afterwards became. Thus he
was unable to decide how far the exact year of its manufacture would
determine its value as compared with other specimens of Stradivarius.
But although the Pressenda he had been used to play on was always
considered a very fine instrument both in make and varnish, his new
discovery so far excelled it in both points as to assure him that it
must be one of the Cremonese master's greatest productions.
He examined the violin minutely, scrutinising each separate feature,
and finding each in turn to be of the utmost perfection, so far as his
knowledge of the instrument would enable him to judge. He lit more
candles that he might be able better to see it, and holding it on his
knees, sat still admiring it until the dying fire and increasing cold
warned him that the night was now far advanced. At last, carrying it to
his bedroom, he locked it carefully into a drawer and retired for the
night.
He woke next morning with that pleasurable consciousness of there
being some reason for gladness, which we feel on waking in seasons of
happiness, even before our reason, locating it, reminds us what the
actual source of our joy may be. He was at first afraid lest his
excitement, working on the imagination, should have led him on the
previous night to overestimate the fineness of the instrument, and he
took it from the drawer half expecting to be disappointed with its
daylight appearance. But a glance sufficed to convince him of the
unfounded nature of his suspicions. The various beauties which he had
before observed were enhanced a hundredfold by the light of day, and he
realised more fully than ever that the instrument was one of altogether
exceptional value.
And now, my dear Edward, I shall ask your forgiveness if in the history
I have to relate any observation of mine should seem to reflect on the
character of your late father, Sir John Maltravers. And I beg you to
consider that your father was also my dear and only brother, and that it
is inexpressibly painful to me to recount any actions of his which may
not seem becoming to a noble gentleman, as he surely was. I only now
proceed because, when very near his end, he most strictly enjoined me to
narrate these circumstances to you fully when you should come of age.
We must humbly remember that to God alone belongs judgment, and that
it is not for poor mortals to decide what is right or wrong in certain
instances for their fellows, but that each should strive most earnestly
to do his own duty.
Your father entirely concealed from me the discovery he had made. It
was not till long afterwards that I had it narrated to me, and I only
obtained a knowledge of this and many other of the facts which I am now
telling you at a date much subsequent to their actual occurrence.
He explained to his servant that he had discovered and opened an old
cupboard in the panelling, without mentioning the fact of his having
found anything in it, but merely asking him to give instructions for the
paint to be mended and the cupboard put into a usable state. Before he
had finished a very late breakfast Mr. Gaskell was with him, and it has
been a source of lasting regret to me that my brother concealed also
from his most intimate and trusted friend the discovery of the previous
night. He did, indeed, tell him that he had found and opened an old
cupboard in the panelling, but made no mention of there having been
anything within. I cannot say what prompted him to this action; for the
two young men had for long been on such intimate terms that the one
shared almost as a matter of course with the other any pleasure or pain
which might fall to his lot. Mr. Gaskell looked at the cupboard with
some interest, saying afterwards, "I know now, Johnnie, why the one
shelf of the bookcase which stood there was made movable when all the
others were fixed. Some former occupant used the cupboard, no doubt,
as a secret receptacle for his treasures, and masked it with the
book-shelves in front. Who knows what he kept in here, or who he was! I
should not be surprised if he were that very man who used to come here
so often to hear us play the 'Areopagita,' and whom you saw that night
last June. He had the one shelf made, you see, to move so as to give him
access to this cavity on occasion: then when he left Oxford, or perhaps
died, the mystery was forgotten, and with a few times of painting the
cracks closed up."
Mr. Gaskell shortly afterwards took his leave as he had a lecture
to attend, and my brother was left alone to the contemplation of his
new-found treasure. After some consideration he determined that he would
take the instrument to London, and obtain the opinion of an expert as
to its authenticity and value. He was well acquainted with the late Mr.
George Smart, the celebrated London dealer, from whom his guardian, Mr.
Thoresby, had purchased the Pressenda violin which John commonly used.
Besides being a dealer in valuable instruments, Mr. Smart was a famous
collector of Stradivarius fiddles, esteemed one of the first authorities
in Europe in that domain of art, and author of a valuable work of
reference in connection with it. It was to him, therefore, that my
brother decided to submit the violin, and he wrote a letter to Mr. Smart
saying that he should give himself the pleasure of waiting on him the
next day on a matter of business. He then called on his tutor, and with
some excuse obtained leave to journey to London the next morning. He
spent the rest of the day in very carefully cleaning the violin, and
noon of the next saw him with it, securely packed, in Mr. Smart's
establishment in Bond Street.
Mr. Smart received Sir John Maltravers with deference, demanded in what
way he could serve him; and on hearing that his opinion was required on
the authenticity of a violin, smiled somewhat dubiously and led the way
into a back parlour.
"My dear Sir John," he said, "I hope you have not been led into buying
any instrument by a faith in its antiquity. So many good copies of
instruments by famous makers and bearing their labels are now afloat,
that the chances of obtaining a genuine fiddle from an unrecognised
source are quite remote; of hundreds of violins submitted to me for
opinion, I find that scarce one in fifty is actually that which it
represents itself to be. In fact the only safe rule," he added as a
professional commentary, "is never to buy a violin unless you obtain it
from a dealer with a reputation to lose, and are prepared to pay a
reasonable price for it."
My brother had meanwhile unpacked the violin and laid it on the table.
As he took from it the last leaf of silver paper he saw Mr. Smart's
smile of condescension fade, and assuming a look of interest and
excitement, he stepped forward, took the violin in his hands, and
scrutinised it minutely. He turned it over in silence for some moments,
looking narrowly at each feature, and even applying the test of a
magnifying-glass. At last he said with an altered tone, "Sir John, I
have had in my hands nearly all the finest productions of Stradivarius,
and thought myself acquainted with every instrument of note that ever
left his workshop; but I confess myself mistaken, and apologise to you
for the doubt which I expressed as to the instrument you had brought me.
This violin is of the great master's golden period, is incontestably
genuine, and finer in some respects than any Stradivarius that I have
ever seen, not even excepting the famous _Dolphin_ itself. You need be
under no apprehension as to its authenticity: no connoisseur could hold
it in his hand for a second and entertain a doubt on the point."
My brother was greatly pleased at so favourable a verdict, and Mr. Smart
continued--
"The varnish is of that rich red which Stradivarius used in his best
period after he had abandoned the yellow tint copied by him at first
from his master Amati. I have never seen a varnish thicker or more
lustrous, and it shows on the back that peculiar shading to imitate wear
which we term 'breaking up.' The purfling also is of an unsurpassable
excellence. Its execution is so fine that I should recommend you to use
a magnifying-glass for its examination."
So he ran on, finding from moment to moment some new beauties to
admire.
My brother was at first anxious lest Mr. Smart should ask him whence so
extraordinary an instrument came, but he saw that the expert had already
jumped to a conclusion in the matter. He knew that John had recently
come of age, and evidently supposed that he had found the violin among
the heirlooms of Worth Maltravers. John allowed Mr. Smart to continue in
this misconception, merely saying that he had discovered the instrument
in an old cupboard, where he had reason to think it had remained hidden
for many years.
"Are there no records attached to so splendid an instrument?" asked Mr.
Smart. "I suppose it has been with your family a number of years. Do you
not know how it came into their possession?"
I believe this was the first occasion on which it had occurred to John
to consider what right he had to the possession of the instrument. He
had been so excited by its discovery that the question of ownership had
never hitherto crossed his mind. The unwelcome suggestion that it was
not his after all, that the College might rightfully prefer a claim to
it, presented itself to him for a moment; but he set it instantly aside,
quieting his conscience with the reflection that this at least was not
the moment to make such a disclosure.
He fenced with Mr. Smart's inquiry as best he could, saying that he was
ignorant of the history of the instrument, but not contradicting the
assumption that it had been a long time in his family's possession.
"It is indeed singular," Mr. Smart continued, "that so magnificent
an instrument should have lain buried so long; that even those best
acquainted with such matters should be in perfect ignorance of its
existence. I shall have to revise the list of famous instruments in the
next edition of my 'History of the Violin,' and to write," he added
smiling, "a special paragraph on the 'Worth Maltravers Stradivarius.'"
After much more, which I need not narrate, Mr. Smart suggested that
the violin should be left with him that he might examine it more at
leisure, and that my brother should return in a week's time, when he
would have the instrument opened, an operation which would be in any
case advisable. "The interior," he added, "appears to be in a strictly
original state, and this I shall be able to ascertain when opened. The
label is perfect, but if I am not mistaken I can see something higher up
on the back which appears like a second label. This excites my interest,
as I know of no instance of an instrument bearing two labels."
To this proposal my brother readily assented, being anxious to enjoy
alone the pleasure of so gratifying a discovery as that of the undoubted
authenticity of the instrument.
As he thought over the matter more at leisure, he grew anxious as to
what might be the import of the second label in the violin of which Mr.
Smart had spoken. I blush to say that he feared lest it might bear some
owner's name or other inscription proving that the instrument had not
been so long in the Maltravers family as he had allowed Mr. Smart to
suppose. So within so short a time it was possible that Sir John
Maltravers of Worth should dread being detected, if not in an absolute
falsehood, at least in having by his silence assented to one.
During the ensuing week John remained in an excited and anxious
condition. He did little work, and neglected his friends, having his
thoughts continually occupied with the strange discovery he had made.
I know also that his sense of honour troubled him, and that he was not
satisfied with the course he was pursuing. The evening of his return
from London he went to Mr. Gaskell's rooms at New College, and spent an
hour conversing with him on indifferent subjects. In the course of their
talk he proposed to his friend as a moral problem the question of the
course of action to be taken were one to find some article of value
concealed in his room. Mr. Gaskell answered unhesitatingly that he
should feel bound to disclose it to the authorities. He saw that my
brother was ill at ease, and with a clearness of judgment which he
always exhibited, guessed that he had actually made some discovery of
this sort in the old cupboard in his rooms. He could not divine, of
course, the exact nature of the object found, and thought it might
probably relate to a hoard of gold; but insisted with much urgency on
the obligation to at once disclose anything of this kind. My brother,
however, misled, I fear, by that feeling of inalienable right which the
treasure-hunter experiences over the treasure, paid no more attention to
the advice of his friend than to the promptings of his own conscience,
and went his way.
From that day, my dear Edward, he began to exhibit a spirit of
secretiveness and reserve entirely alien to his own open and honourable
disposition, and also saw less of Mr. Gaskell. His friend tried, indeed,
to win his confidence and affection in every way in his power; but in
spite of this the rift between them widened insensibly, and my brother
lost the fellowship and counsel of a true friend at a time when he could
ill afford to be without them.
He returned to London the ensuing week, and met Mr. George Smart by
appointment in Bond Street. If the expert had been enthusiastic on a
former occasion, he was ten times more so on this. He spoke in terms
almost of rapture about the violin. He had compared it with two
magnificent instruments in the collection of the late Mr. James Loding,
then the finest in Europe; and it was admittedly superior to either,
both in the delicate markings of its wood and singularly fine varnish.
"Of its tone," he said, "we cannot, of course, yet pronounce with
certainty, but I am very sure that its voice will not belie its splendid
exterior. It has been carefully opened, and is in a strangely perfect
condition. Several persons eminently qualified to judge unite with me
in considering that it has been exceedingly little played upon, and
admit that never has so intact an interior been seen. The scroll is
exceptionally bold and original. Although undoubtedly from the hand of
the great master, this is of a pattern entirely different and distinct
from any that have ever come under my observation."
He then pointed out to my brother that the side lines of the scroll were
unusually deeply cut, and that the front of it projected far more than
is common with such instruments.
"The most remarkable feature," he concluded, "is that the instrument
bears a double label. Besides the label which you have already seen
bearing '_Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis faciebat_,' with the date of
his most splendid period, 1704, so clearly that the ink seems scarcely
dry, there is another smaller one higher up on the back which I will
show you."
He took the violin apart and showed him a small label with characters
written in faded ink. "That is the writing of Antonio Stradivarius
himself, and is easily recognisable, though it is much firmer than
a specimen which I once saw, written in extreme old age, and giving
his name and the date 1736. He was then ninety-two, and died in the
following year. But this, as you will see, does not give his name, but
merely the two words '_Porphyrius philosophus_.' What this may refer
to I cannot say: it is beyond my experience. My friend Mr. Calvert has
suggested that Stradivarius may have dedicated this violin to the pagan
philosopher, or named it after him; but this seems improbable. I have,
indeed, heard of two famous violins being called 'Peter' and 'Paul,'
but the instances of such naming are very rare; and I believe it to be
altogether without precedent to find a name attached thus on a label.
"In any case, I must leave this matter to your ingenuity to decipher.
Neither the sound-post nor the bass-bar have ever been moved, and you
see here a Stradivarius violin wearing exactly the same appearance as
it once wore in the great master's workshop, and in exactly the same
condition; yet I think the belly is sufficiently strong to stand modern
stringing. I should advise you to leave the instrument with me for some
little while, that I may give it due care and attention and ensure its
being properly strung."
My brother thanked him and left the violin with him, saying that he
would instruct him later by letter to what address he wished it sent.