amorandola (amorální mandolína)
Dear A Bouazza,
I "hear" two possibilities here - - 'morous mandolin' and 'amoral mandolin'. Perhaps both.*
The viola d'amore (I had the pleasure of hearing a duet of viole d'amore years ago) is distinguished by two sets of strings, one to be played, the other to vibrate sympathetically.
Can you, or anyone else, give me the context in Bend Sinister? I was able to find mention of it in the author's introduction, but not the context in the novel itself.
Carolyn
* W C Fields in an early silent film has a bass fiddle and cello left in a corner to their own devices for a while producing a little fiddle ... The bass gets a scolding and is kicked out of the house.