The Second Fiddle by E.V. Lucas
The excerpt from "The Second Fiddle" by E.V. Lucas consists of a monologue delivered by the second violinist of a restaurant orchestra, addressed to an unnamed listener, in which he describes and compares himself to the orchestra's lead violinist, or "first fiddle." The speaker portrays the lead violinist as a tall, thin Jew with a large hook nose and black moustache, who dresses cheaply but smartly and wears his hair short so as to appear a man of the world. He admits the man plays with great technical skill but insists he has no real feeling in his music. According to the speaker, the lead violinist has learned theatrical tricks: rolling and closing his eyes rapturously, lifting his eyebrows, and swaying his head as if lost in a dream of beauty, all while secretly watching the women in the restaurant from under his lids to judge which are worth cultivating. The speaker confesses his own loneliness and his fear of women, admitting that he once tried practicing similar languishing expressions before a mirror but stopped, ashamed of himself. He longs to have the same effect on women that the lead violinist has, to make them trust him and let him care for them, but recognizes that he lacks whatever magnetism the other man possesses. He describes how the women who frequent the restaurant come to watch the lead fiddler, often neglecting their food and irritating the men who accompany them, who complain and grow cross when their companions ignore them in favor of watching the musician. The speaker explains that when the lead violinist steps away between selections to sit with friends or receive congratulations from admirers, he himself must take over leading the orchestra, but no woman ever looks twice at him because he is short, fair, and middle-aged. He states that even when he was younger, better dressed, and less self-conscious, he was never able to attract women's interest, attributing this to some unteachable trick or quality the lead fiddler has and he lacks. He goes on to accuse the lead violinist of cruelty and meanness: when the orchestra's pianist contracted pneumonia after playing in a cold hall for him, the lead fiddler refused to pay him anything for five weeks until he recovered; and the second violin player (whose place the speaker took) was dismissed simply because he received too much applause during solos, despite being a poor man with a large family who genuinely needed the position. The speaker notes that women do not care about such unkindness, especially when a man plays well, and admits again that the lead violinist's playing is technically wonderful but lacks heart. He describes how waiters constantly bring the lead violinist notes from admirers, some merely requesting waltzes or love songs, others more personal, and how he performs his rapturous expressions for whichever woman requested the piece, making her feel like a queen, even though at rehearsals, away from an audience, he only snaps and snarls at the other musicians. The speaker imagines the lead fiddler's wife waiting outside the restaurant to intercept him on his way to cards in order to get money from him, reflecting that the man once wanted her before she grew tired and plain, and now only desires new faces, new voices, and new admiration. The speaker notes bitterly that there is no telepathy in him to convey his true opinion, since he himself is short and fair and without magnetism, and that all such men have to offer is being true, which women do not value as much as magnetism. He describes trying, within the limits of his lowly position as an employee, to warn impressionable young women away from the lead violinist by frowning and nodding at them, since he cannot approach and speak to them directly. He recounts one specific instance involving a new bookkeeper girl whom the lead violinist began courting. The speaker warned her to be careful, but she dismissed his concerns, saying she liked the lead fiddler anyway and that she took people as she found them, since he was always kind and nice to her. The speaker then offered himself as an alternative, telling her that if she wanted a lover she could have him, since he had no one to love while the lead fiddler had thousands; she laughed this off, saying there was more fun in taking a man away from thousands of admirers. Despite refusing his warning, the bookkeeper girl remained honorable and never told the lead violinist what the speaker had said against him, though the speaker had not even asked her to keep silent. The affair continued for about a month, with the lead fiddler spending his days smiling, bowing, and playing for the women, taking tea with them, playing cards with his circle of friends, and meeting the bookkeeper girl at night, until he eventually grew tired of her and left her. As a result, she lost her position at the restaurant, and the speaker reveals that he has since lent her money to help her through the trouble that resulted from the affair. The speaker concludes by reiterating that despite the lead violinist's poor character, he possesses real technical mastery of the violin, playing a beautiful and valuable instrument, and could earn a large salary in any orchestra in the world, but that his playing, for all its skill, contains no true love of music.
By E.V. Lucas · First published 1912 · Genre: Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction, Character Study · 1,550 words
First lines
Characters
"He is tall and thin; a Jew, of course. They are always Jews. He has a large hook nose such as I detest and a black moustache. He dresses very carefully, but it is cheap stuff; still, it looks smart, and women are so foolish. His hair is not long, for he wishes to be thought a man of the world as well as a musician. But I must confess he plays well, so far as technique goes, though he never feels it.
Similar titles
- The Man With A Grouch by H. De Vere Stacpoole
- Introduction To Sally by Elizabeth Von Arnim
- Club Snobs Iii by William Makepeace Thackeray
- The Anti Burglars by E. V. Lucas
- The Caravaners by Elizabeth Von Arnim
- Love by Elizabeth Von Arnim
Genres
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative is an intimate first-person psychological study exploring the narrator's envy, self-doubt, romantic longing, and complex emotional responses to his rival's charisma and success.
- Literary Fiction — The work demonstrates sophisticated character development, intricate narrative voice, thematic complexity regarding desire and morality, and stylistically conscious prose reflecting early 20th-century modernism.
- Character Study — The piece functions primarily as a dual character portrait—both a psychological self-examination of the narrator and a moral critique of the charismatic but unethical violinist.
- Drama — The text is structured as an intense emotional monologue with interpersonal conflict, moral tension, and the dramatic struggle between competing musicians for attention and validation.
Tags
comedy · humorous · British literature · satirical · early 20th century · social satire · character-driven · romantic · witty · domestic humor · Edwardian era · literary fiction
What this Textopian page supports
The Second Fiddle is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.V. Lucas, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.V. Lucas
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction, Character Study, Drama, Romance
- Length: 1,550 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Second Fiddle by E.V. Lucas
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph