s buttered toast,
so he (Captain Dowler)

rang the bell with great violence, and told the waiter
he'd better bring the toast in five seconds, or he'd
know the reason why.

Dickens rang far more changes on the bells than there is space
to enumerate; but I have shown to what extent he makes their
sound a commentary on innumerable phases of life. A slight
technical knowledge of bell phraseology is found in _Barnaby
Rudge_ (7), where he mentions the variations known as a
'triple bob major.' Finally there is an interesting reference
in _Master Humphrey's Clock_ to a use of the bell which has
now passed into history. Belinda says in a postscript to a
letter to Master Humphrey, 'The bellman, rendered impatient
by delay, is ringing dreadfully in the passage'; while in a
second PS. she says, 'I open this to say the bellman is gone,
and that you must not expect it till the next post.'

In the old days it was the custom for the letter-carriers to
collect letters by ringing a bell.

There is no doubt that a most extraordinary, certainly a
most original, musical effect is that secured by Mr. George
(_B.H._), who had just finished smoking.

'Do you know what that tune is, Mr. Smallweed?' he adds,
after breaking off to whistle one, accompanied on the
table with the empty pipe.

'Tune,' replies the old man. 'No, we never have
tunes here.'

'That's the "Dead March" in _Saul_. They bury soldiers
to it, so it's the natural end of the subject.'

Surely a highly original way of bringing a conversation to
a close!

This march is referred to in _Our Mutual Friend_, where
Mr. Wilfer suggests that going through life with Mrs. Wilfer
is like keeping time to the 'Dead March' in _Saul_, from
which singular simile we may gather that this lady was not
the liveliest of companions.

Several other instruments are casually mentioned. Mr. Hardy
(_S.B.T._ 7) was a master of many accomplishments.

He could sing comic songs, imitate hackney coachmen
and fowls, play airs on his chin, and execute concertos
on the Jew's harp.

The champion 'chin' performer of the early Victorian period
was Michael Boai, 'The celebrated chin melodist,' who was
announced to perform 'some of his admired pieces' at many
of the places of entertainment. There is another reference
to this extraordinary way of producing music in _Sketches by
Boz_, where Mrs. Tippin performed an air with variations on the
guitar,