a few fiddles in the window, and some Pan's pipes and
a tambourine, and a triangle, and certain elongated
scraps of music.

It was to this shop that Bucket the detective came under
the pretence of wanting a second-hand 'wiolinceller' (see
p. 29). In the course of conversation it turns out that Master
Bagnet (otherwise 'Woolwich') 'plays the fife beautiful,'
and he performs some popular airs for the benefit of his
audience. Mr. Bucket also claims to have played the fife
himself when a boy, 'not in a scientific way, but by ear.'


_Bagpipes_

Two references to the bagpipes deserve notice. One is in
_David Copperfield_, where the novelist refers to his own
early experiences as a shorthand reporter. He has no high
opinion of the speeches he used to take down.

One joyful night, therefore, I noted down the music
of the parliamentary bagpipes for the last time, and
I have never heard it since; though I still recognize
the old drone in the newspapers.

In _O.M.F._ (II.) we read of Charley Hexam's fellow pupils
keeping themselves awake

by maintaining a monotonous droning noise, as if they
were performing, out of time and tune, on a ruder sort