magic and real detectives-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



full　speed。



But　this　fatigue　was　as　nothing　compared　to　the　emotion

occasionally　produced　by　an　error　in　the　time　that　was　to　elapse

between　my　two　performances。　　I　remember　that；　one　night；　having　to

wind　up　the　performances　at　the　Vaudeville；　the　stage　manager

miscalculated　the　time　the　pieces　would　take　in　performing；　and

found　himself　much　in　advance。　　He　sent　off　an　express　to　warn　me

that　the　curtain　had　fallen；　and　I　was　anxiously　expected。　　Can　my

readers　comprehend　my　wretchedness？　　My　experiments；　of　which　I

could　omit　none；　would　occupy　another　quarter　of　an　hour；　but

instead　of　indulging　in　useless　recriminations；　I　resigned　myself

and　continued　my　performance；　though　I　was　a　prey　to　frightful

anxiety。　　While　speaking；　I　fancied　I　could　hear　that　cadenced　yell

of　the　public　to　which　the　famous　song；　〃Des　lampions；　des

lampions；〃　was　set。　　Thus；　either　through　preoccupation　or　a　desire

to　end　sooner；　I　found　when　my　performance　was　over　I　had　gained

five　minutes　out　of　the　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Assuredly；　it　might　he

called　the　quarter　of　an　hour's　grace。



To　jump　into　a　carriage　and　drive　to　the　Place　de　la　Bourse　was　the

affair　of　an　instant；　still；　twenty　minutes　had　elapsed　since　the

curtain　fell；　and　that　was　an　enormous　time。　　My　son　Emile　and　I

proceeded　up　the　actors'　stairs　at　full　speed；　but　on　the　first

step　we　had　heard　the　cries；　whistling；　and　stamping　of　the

impatient　audience。　　What　a　prospect！　　I　knew　that　frequently；

either　right　or　wrong；　the　public　treated　an　artiste；　no　matter

whom；　very　harshly；　to　remind　him　of　punctuality。　　That　sovereign

always　appears　to　have　on　its　lips　the　words　of　another　monarch：　〃I

was　obliged　to　wait。〃　　However；　we　hurried　up　the　steps　leading　to

the　stage。



The　stage　manager；　who　had　been　watching；　on　hearing　our　hurried

steps；　cried　from　the　landing：



〃Is　that　you；　M。　Houdin？〃



〃Yes；　siryes。〃



〃Raise　the　curtain！〃　the　same　voice　shouted。



〃Wait；　wait；　it　is　imp〃



My　breath　would　not　allow　me　to　finish　my　objection；　I　fell　on　a

chair；　unable　to　move。



〃Come；　M。　Houdin；〃　the　manager　said；　〃DO　go　on　the　stage；　the

curtain　is　up；　and　the　public　are　so　impatient。〃



The　door　at　the　back　of　the　stage　was　open；　but　I　could　not　pass

through　it；　fatigue　and　emotion　nailed　me　to　the　spot。　　Still；　an

idea　occurred　to　me；　which　saved　me　from　the　popular　wrath。



〃Go　on　to　the　stage；　my　boy；〃　I　said　to　my　son；　〃and　prepare　all

that　is　wanting　for　the　second…sight　trick。〃



The　public　allowed　themselves　to　be　disarmed　by　this　youth；　whose

face　inspired　a　sympathizing　interest；　and　my　son；　after　gravely

bowing　to　the　audience；　quietly　made　his　slight　preparations；　that

is　to　say；　he　carried　an　ottoman　to　the　front　of　the　stage；　and

placed　on　a　neighboring　table　a　slate；　some　chalk；　a　pack　of　cards；

and　a　bandage。



This　slight　delay　enabled　me　to　recover　my　breath　and　calm　my

nerves；　and　I　advanced　in　my　turn　with　an　attempt　to　assume　the

stereotyped　smile；　in　which　I　signally　failed；　as　I　was　so

agitated。　　The　audience　at　first　remained　silent；　then　their　faces

gradually　unwrinkled；　and　soon；　one　or　two　claps　having　been

ventured；　they　were　carried　away　and　peace　was　made。　　I　was　well

rewarded；　however；　for　this　terrible　ordeal；　as　my　〃second…sight〃

never　gained　a　more　brilliant　triumph。



An　incident　greatly　enlivened　the　termination　of　my　performance。



A　spectator；　who　had　evidently　come　on　purpose　to　embarrass　us；　had

tried　in　vain　for　some　minutes　to　baffle　my　son's　clairvoyance；

when；　turning　to　me；　he　said；　laying　marked　stress　on　his　words：



〃As　your　son　is　a　soothsayer；　of　course　he　can　guess　the　number　of

my　stall？〃



The　importunate　spectator　doubtless　hoped　to　force　us　into　a

confession　of　our　impotence；　for　he　covered　his　number；　and　the

adjacent　seats　being　occupied；　it　was　apparently　impossible　to　read

the　numbers。　　But　I　was　on　my　guard　against　all　surprises；　and　my

reply　was　ready。　　Still；　in　order　to　profit　as　much　as　possible　by

the　situation；　I　feigned　to　draw　back。



〃You　know；　sir；〃　I　said；　feigning　an　embarrassed　air；　〃that　my　son

is　neither　sorcerer　nor　diviner；　he　reads　through　my　eyes；　and

hence　I　have　given　this　experiment　the　name　of　second　sight。　　As　I

cannot　see　the　number　of　your　stall；　and　the　seats　close　to　you　are

occupied；　my　son　cannot　tell　it　you。〃



〃Ah！　I　was　certain　of　it；〃　my　persecutor　said；　in　triumph；　and

turning　to　his　neighbors：　〃I　told　you　I　would　pin　him。〃



〃Oh；　sir！　you　are　not　generous　in　your　victory；〃　I　said；　in　my

turn；　in　a　tone　of　mockery。　　〃Take　care；　if　you　pique　my　son's

vanity　too　sharply；　he　may　solve　your　problem；　though　it　is　so

difficult。〃



〃I　defy　him；〃　said　the　spectator；　leaning　firmly　against　the　back

of　his　seat；　to　hide　the　number　better〃yes；　yesI　defy　him！〃



〃You　believe　it　to　be　difficult；　then？〃



〃I　will　grant　more：　it　is　impossible。〃



〃Well；　then；　sir；　that　is　a　stronger　reason　for　us　to　try　it。　　You

will　not　be　angry　if　we　triumph　in　our　turn？〃　I　added；　with　a

petulant　smile。



〃Come；　sir；　we　understand　evasions　of　that　sort。　　I　repeat　itI

challenge　you　both。〃



The　public　found　great　amusement　in　this　debate；　and　patiently

awaited　its　issue。



〃Emile；〃　I　said　to　my　son；　〃prove　to　this　gentleman　that　nothing

can　escape　your　second　sight。〃



〃It　is　number　sixty…nine；〃　the　boy　answered；　immediately。



Noisy　and　hearty　applause　rose　from　every　part　of　the　theater；　in

which　our　opponent　joined；　for；　confessing　his　defeat；　he

exclaimed；　as　he　clapped　his　hands；　〃It　is　astounding

magnificent！〃



The　way　I　succeeded　in　finding　out　the　number　of　the　stall　was

this：　I　knew　beforehand　that　in　all　theaters　where　the　stalls　are

divided　down　the　center　by　a　passage；　the　uneven　numbers　are　on　the

right；　and　the　even　on　the　left。　　As　at　the　Vaudeville　each　row　was

composed　of　ten　stalls；　it　followed　that　on　the　right　hand　the

several　rows　must　begin　with　one；　twenty…one；　forty…one；　and　so　on；

increasing　by　twenty　each。　　Guided　by　this；　I　had　no　difficulty　in

discovering　that　my　opponent　was　seated　in　number　sixty…nine；

representing　the　fifth　stall　in　the　fourth　row。　　I　had　prolonged

the　conversation　for　the　double　purpose　of　giving　more　brilliancy

to　my　experiment；　and　gaining　time　to　make　my　researches。　　Thus　I

applied　my　process　of　two　simultaneous　thoughts；　to　which　I　have

already　alluded。



As　I　am　now　explaining　matters；　I　may　as　well　tell　my　readers　some

of　the　artifices　that　added　material　brilliancy　to　the　second

sight。　　I　have　already　said　this　experiment　was　the　result　of　a

material　communication　between　myself　and　my　son　which　no　one　could

detect。　　Its　combinations　enabled　us　to　describe　any　conceivable

object；　but；　though　this　was　a　splendid　result；　I　saw　that　I　should


soon　encounter　unheard…of　difficulties　in　executing　it。



The　experiment　of　second　sight　always　formed　the　termination　of　my

performance。　　Each　evening　I　saw　unbelievers　arrive　with　all　sorts

of　articles　to　triumph　over　a　secret　which　they　could　not　unravel。

Before　going　to　see　Robert…Houdin's　son　a　council　was　held；　in

which　an　object　that　must　embarrass　the　father　was　chosen。　　Among

these　were　half…effaced　antique　medals；　minerals；　books　printed　in

characters　of　every　description　（living　and　dead　languages）；　coats…

of…arms；　microscopic　objects；　etc。



But　what　caused　me　the　greatest　difficulty　was　in　finding　out　the

contents　of　parcels；　often　tied　with　a　string；　or　even　sealed　up。

But　I　had　managed　to　contend　successfully　against　all　these

attempts　to　embarrass　me。　　I　opened　boxes；　purses；　pocketbooks；

etc。；　with　great　ease；　and　unnoticed；　while　appearing　to　be　engaged

on　something　quite　different。　　Were　a　sealed　parcel　offered　me；　I

cut　a　small　slit　in　the　paper　with　the　nail　of　my　left　thumb；　which

I　always　purposely　kept　very　long　and　sharp；　and　thus　discovered

what　it　contained。　　One　essential　condition　was　excellent　sight；

and　that　I　possessed　to　perfection。　　I　owed　it　originally　to　my　old

trade；　and　practice　daily　improved　it。　　An　equally　indispensable

necessity　was　to　know　the　name　of　every　object　offered　me。　　It　was

not　enough　to　say；　for　instance；　〃It　is　a　coin〃；　but　my　son　must

give　its　technical　name；　its　value；　the　country　in　which　it　was

current；　and　the　year　in　which　it　was　struck。　　Thus；　for　instance；

if　an　English　crown　were　handed　me；　my　son　was　expected　to　state

that　it　was　struck　in　the　reign　of　George　IV；　and　had　an　intrinsic

value　of　six　francs　eighteen　centimes。



Aided　by　an　excellent　memory；　we　had　managed　to　classify　in　our

heads　the　name　and　value　of　all　foreign　money。　　We　could　also

describe　a　coat…of…arms　in　heraldic　terms。　　Thus；　on　the　arms　of

the　house　of　X…　being　handed　me；　my　son　would　reply：　〃Field

gules；　with　two　croziers　argent　in　pale。〃　　This　knowledge　was　very

useful　to　us　in　the　salons　of　the　Faubourg　Saint　Germain；　where　we

were　frequently　summoned。



I　had　also　learned　the　charactersthough　unable　to　translate　a

wordof　an　infinity　of　languages；　such　as　Chinese；　Russian；

Turkish　Greek；　Hebrew；　etc。　　We　knew；　too；　the　names　of　all

surgical　instruments；　so　that　a　surgical　pocketbook；　however

complicated　it　might　be；　could　not　embarrass　us。　　Lastly；　I　had　a

very　sufficient　knowledge　of　mineralogy；　precious　stones；

antiquities；　and　curiosities；　but　I　had　at　my　command　every

possible　resource　for　acquiring　these　studies；　as　one　of　my　dearest

and　best　friends；　Aristide　le　Carpentier；　a　learned　antiquary；　and

uncle　of　the　talented　composer　of　the　same　name；　had；　and　still

has；　a　cabinet　of　antique　curiosities；　which　makes　the　keepers　of

the　imperial　museums　fierce　with　envy。　　My　son　and　I　spent　many

long　days　in　learning　here　names　and　dates　of　which　we　afterwards

made　a　learned　display。　　Le　Carpentier　taught　me　many　things；　and；

among　others；　he　descr