We find another comparison in Little Dorrit, when the long-suffering Pancks turns round on Casby, his employer, and exposes his hypocrisy.  Pancks, who has had much difficulty in getting his master’s rents from the tenants, makes up his mind to leave him; and before doing so he tells the whole truth about Casby to the inhabitants of Bleeding Heart Yard.  ’Here’s the Stop,’ said Pancks, ’that sets the tune to be ground.  And there is but one tune, and its name is “Grind!  Grind!  Grind!"’

Guitar

Although the guitar was a fashionable instrument sixty years ago, there are but few references to it.  This was the instrument that enabled the three Miss Briggses, each of them performers, to eclipse the glory of the Miss Tauntons, who could only manage a harp.  On the eventful day of ‘The Steam Excursion’ (S.B.) the three sisters brought their instruments, carefully packed up in dark green cases,

which were carefully stowed away in the bottom of the boat, accompanied by two immense portfolios of music, which it would take at least a week’s incessant playing to get through.

At a subsequent stage of the proceedings they were asked to play, and after replacing a broken string, and a vast deal of screwing and tightening, they gave ’a new Spanish composition, for three voices and three guitars,’ and secured an encore, thus completely overwhelming their rivals.  In the account of the French Watering-Place (R.P.) we read about a guitar on the pier, ’to which a boy or woman sings without any voice little songs without any tune.’

On one of his night excursions in the guise of an ’Uncommercial Traveller’ Dickens discovered a stranded Spaniard, named Antonio.  In response to a general invitation ‘the swarthy youth’ takes up his cracked guitar and gives them the ’feeblest ghost of a tune,’ while the inmates of the miserable den kept time with their heads.

Dora used to delight David Copperfield by singing enchanting ballads in the French language and accompanying herself ’on a glorified instrument, resembling a guitar,’ though subsequent references show it was that instrument and none other.

We read in Little Dorrit that Young John Chivery wore ’pantaloons so highly decorated with side stripes, that each leg was a three-stringed lute.’  This appears to be the only reference to this instrument, and a lute of three strings is the novelist’s own conception, the usual number being about nine.

[9] Or, ‘Mix it up and make it nice.’

[10] The Public Life of Mr. Tulrumble, 1837.

CHAPTER IV

VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS (continued)

Many musical instruments and terms are mentioned by way of illustration.  Blathers, the Bow Street officer (O.T.), plays carelessly with his handcuffs as if they were a pair of castanets.  Miss Miggs (B.R.) clanks her pattens as if they were a pair of cymbals.  Mr. Bounderby (H.T.), during his conversation with Harthouse,