"On that key of hopelessness she ended," from Hamilton of King's by Alice Price, 1890.

She's "at it," from Dicks' English Library of Standard Works, 1884.

From A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times by Henry Sampson, 1874.

What are these mysteriously named musical notes from Supplement to Spons' Dictionary of Engineering, Civil, Mechanical, Military, and Naval (1879)?  We're uncomfortably reminded of the nineteen "forbidden notes" of the Boîte Diabolique, revealed in the hilarious British comedy series Look Around You.

"The piano is a wonder box," from St. Nicholas magazine.

From My Northern Exposure: The Kawa At the Pole by Walter E. Traprock, 1922.  Thanks, Jonathan Caws-Elwitt!

"The Eldest Generosity girl bounces about a good deal on the music stool and plays wrong notes maliciously."  From The Money-Spinner by Henry Seton Merriman and illustrated by Arthur Rackham, 1896.

"Weltschmerz."  From Peter Ibbetson by George Du Maurier (1892).

An illustration from Past, Present and Future by James E. White (1909).

Suspense is overrated.  Sometimes it's lovely to have questions answered immediately.  Take the story "Julia's Little Weakness" (from The Lady's Realm, 1900).  What's Julia's little weakness?  The very first sentence illuminates us forthwith: "It was for 'stars.'"  Belated thanks, Philippa Trent, for getting right to it!  (And for beginning her story with a long dash!)