magic and real detectives-第25节

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！



caused　me　the　greatest　joy　I　had　ever　experienced。　　At　this　moment

a　secret　presentiment　warned　me　that　success；　perhaps　glory；　would

one　day　accrue　to　me　in　the　apparent　realization　of　the　marvelous

and　impossible；　and　fortunately　these　presentiments　did　not　err。



The　resemblance　between　two　books；　and　the　hurry　of　a　bookseller；

were　the　commonplace　causes　of　the　most　important　event　in　my　life。



It　may　be　urged　that　different　circumstances　might　have　suggested

this　profession　to　me　at　a　later　date。　　It　is　probable；　but　then　I

should　have　had　no　time　for　it。　　Would　any　workman；　artisan；　or

tradesman　give　up　a　certainty；　however　slight　it　may　be；　to　yield

to　a　passion　which　would　be　surely　regarded　as　a　mania？　　Hence　my

irresistible　penchant　for　the　mysterious　could　only　be　followed　at

this　precise　period　of　my　life。



How　often　since　have　I　blessed　this　providential　error；　without

which　I　should　have　probably　vegetated　as　a　country　watchmaker！　　My

life　would　have　been　spent　in　gentle　monotony；　I　should　have　been

spared　many　sufferings；　emotions；　and　shocks：　but；　on　the　other

hand；　what　lively　sensations；　what　profound　delight　would　have　been

sacrificed！



I　was　eagerly　devouring　every　line　of　the　magic　book　which

described　the　astounding　tricks；　my　head　was　aglow；　and　I　at　times

gave　way　to　thoughts　which　plunged　me　in　ecstasy。



The　author　gave　a　very　plain　explanation　of　his　tricks；　still；　he

committed　the　error　of　supposing　his　readers　possessed　of　the

necessary　skill　to　perform　them。　　Now；　I　was　entirely　deficient　in

this　skill；　and　though　most　desirous　of　acquiring　it；　I　found

nothing　in　the　book　to　indicate　the　means。　　I　was　in　the　position

of　a　man　who　attempts　to　copy　a　picture　without　possessing　the

slightest　notion　of　drawing　and　painting。



In　the　absence　of　a　professor　to　instruct　me；　I　was　compelled　to

create　the　principles　of　the　science　I　wished　to　study。　　In　the

first　place；　I　recognized　the　fundamental　principle　of　sleight…of…

hand；　that　the　organs　performing　the　principal　part　are　the　sight

and　touch。　　I　saw　that；　in　order　to　attain　any　degree　of

perfection；　the　professor　must　develop　these　organs　to　their

fullest　extentfor；　in　his　exhibitions；　he　must　be　able　to　see

everything　that　takes　place　around　him　at　half　a　glance；　and

execute　his　deceptions　with　unfailing　dexterity。



I　had　been　often　struck　by　the　ease　with　which　pianists　can　read

and　perform　at　sight　the　most　difficult　pieces。　　I　saw　that；　by

practice；　it　would　be　possible　to　create　a　certainty　of　perception

and　facility　of　touch；　rendering　it　easy　for　the　artist　to　attend

to　several　things　simultaneously；　while　his　hands　were　busy

employed　with　some　complicated　task。　　This　faculty　I　wished　to

acquire　and　apply　to　sleight…of…hand；　still；　as　music　could　not

afford　me　the　necessary　elements；　I　had　recourse　to　the　juggler's

art；　in　which　I　hoped　to　meet　with　an　analogous　result。



It　is　well　known　that　the　trick　with　the　balls　wonderfully　improves

the　touch；　but　does　it　not　improve　the　vision　at　the　same　time？　　In

fact；　when　a　juggler　throws　into　the　air　four　balls　crossing　each

other　in　various　directions；　he　requires　an　extraordinary　power　of

sight　to　follow　the　direction　his　hands　have　given　to　each　of　the

balls。　　At　this　period　a　corn…cutter　resided　at　Blois；　who

possessed　the　double　talent　of　juggling　and　extracting　corns　with　a

skill　worthy　of　the　lightness　of　his　hands。　　Still；　with　both　these

qualities；　he　was　not　rich；　and　being　aware　of　that　fact；　I　hoped

to　obtain　lessons　from　him　at　a　price　suited　to　my　modest　finances。

In　fact；　for　ten　francs　he　agreed　to　initiate　me　in　the　juggling

art。



I　practiced　with　so　much　zeal；　and　progressed　so　rapidly；　that　in

less　than　a　month　I　had　nothing　more　to　learn；　at　least；　I　knew　as

much　as　my　master；　with　the　exception　of　corn…cutting；　the　monopoly

in　which　I　left　him。　　I　was　able　to　juggle　with　four　balls　at　once。

But　this　did　not　satisfy　my　ambition；　so　I　placed　a　book　before　me；

and；　while　the　balls　were　in　the　air；　I　accustomed　myself　to　read

without　any　hesitation。



This　will　probably　seem　to　my　readers　very　extraordinary；　but　I

shall　surprise　them　still　more；　when　I　say　that　I　have　just　amused

myself　by　repeating　this　curious　experiment。　　Though　thirty　years

have　elapsed　since　the　time　of　which　I　am　writing；　and　though　I

scarcely　once　touched　the　balls　during　that　period；　I　can　still

manage　to　read　with　ease　while　keeping　three　balls　up。



The　practice　of　this　trick　gave　my　fingers　a　remarkable　degree　of

delicacy　and　certainty；　while　my　eye　was　at　the　same　time　acquiring

a　promptitude　of　perception　that　was　quite　marvelous。　　Presently　I

shall　have　to　speak　of　the　service　this　rendered　me　in　my

experiment　of　second　sight。　　After　having　thus　made　my　hands　supple

and　docile；　I　went　on　straight　to　sleight…of…hand；　and　I　more

especially　devoted　myself　to　the　manipulation　of　cards　and

palmistry。



This　operation　requires　a　great　deal　of　practice；　for；　while　the

hand　is　held　apparently　open；　balls；　corks；　lumps　of　sugar；　coins；

etc。；　must　be　held　unseen；　the　fingers　remaining　perfectly　free　and

limber。



Owing　to　the　little　time　at　my　disposal；　the　difficulties　connected

with　these　new　experiments　would　have　been　insurmountable　had　I　not

found　a　mode　of　practicing　without　neglecting　my　business。　　It　was

the　fashion　in　those　days　to　wear　coats　with　large　pockets　on　the

hips；　called　a　la　proprietaire；　so　whenever　my　hands　were　not

otherwise　engaged　they　slipped　naturally　into　my　pockets；　and　set

to　work　with　cards；　coins；　or　one　of　the　objects　I　have　mentioned。

It　will　be　easily　understood　how　much　time　I　gained　by　this。　　Thus；

for　instance；　when　out　on　errands　my　hands　could　be　at　work　on　both

sides；　at　dinner；　I　often　ate　my　soup　with　one　hand　while　I　was

learning　to　sauter　la　coupe　with　the　otherin　short；　the　slightest

moment　of　relaxation　was　devoted　to　my　favorite　pursuit。





II



〃SECOND　SIGHT〃





＇A　thousand　more　trials　of　patience　and　perseverance　finally

brought　to　the　conjurer　a　Parisian　theater　and　an　appreciative

clientele。　　But　he　never　ceased　to　labor　and　improve　the　quality　of

his　marvelous　effects。＇





The　experiment；　however；　to　which　I　owed　my　reputation　was　one

inspired　by　that　fantastic　god　to　whom　Pascal　attributes　all　the

discoveries　of　this　sublunary　world：　it　was　chance　that　led　me

straight　to　the　invention　of　SECOND　SIGHT。



My　two　children　were　playing　one　day　in　the　drawing…room　at　a　game

they　had　invented　for　their　own　amusement。　　The　younger　had

bandaged　his　elder　brother's　eyes；　and　made　him　guess　the　objects

he　touched；　and　when　the　latter　happened　to　guess　right；　they

changed　places。　　This　simple　game　suggested　to　me　the　most

complicated　idea　that　ever　crossed　my　mind。



Pursued　by　the　notion；　I　ran　and　shut　myself　up　in　my　workroom；　and

was　fortunately　in　that　happy　state　when　the　mind　follows　easily

the　combinations　traced　by　fancy。　　I　rested　my　hand　in　my　hands；

and；　in　my　excitement；　laid　down　the　first　principles　of　second

sight。



My　readers　will　remember　the　experiment　suggested　to　me　formerly　by

the　pianist's　dexterity；　and　the　strange　faculty　I　succeeded　in

attaining：　I　could　read　while　juggling　with　four　balls。　　Thinking

seriously　of　this；　I　fancied　that　this　〃perception　by　appreciation〃

might　be　susceptible　of　equal　development；　if　I　applied　its

principles　to　the　memory　and　the　mind。



I　resolved；　therefore；　on　making　some　experiments　with　my　son

Emile；　and；　in　order　to　make　my　young　assistant　understand　the

nature　of　the　exercise　we　were　going　to　learn；　I　took　a　domino；　the

cinq…quatre　for　instance；　and　laid　it　before　him。　　Instead　of

letting　him　count　the　points　of　the　two　numbers；　I　requested　the

boy　to　tell　me　the　total　at　once。



〃Nine；〃　he　said。



Then　I　added　another　domino；　the　quarter…tray。



〃That　makes　sixteen；〃　he　said；　without　any　hesitation。　　I　stopped

the　first　lesson　here；　the　next　day　we　succeeded　in　counting　at　a

single　glance　four　dominoes；　the　day　after　six；　and　thus　we　at

length　were　enabled　to　give　instantaneously　the　product　of　a　dozen

dominoes。



This　result　obtained；　we　applied　ourselves　to　a　far　more　difficult

task；　over　which　we　spent　a　month。　　My　son　and　I　passed　rapidly

before　a　toy…shop；　or　any　other　displaying　a　variety　of　wares；　and

cast　an　attentive　glance　upon　it。　　A　few　steps　farther　on　we　drew

paper　and　pencil　from　our　pockets；　and　tried　which　could　describe

the　greater　number　of　objects　seen　in　passing。　　I　must　own　that　my

son　reached　a　perfection　far　greater　than　mine；　for　he　could　often

write　down　forty　objects；　while　I　could　scarce　reach　thirty。　　Often

feeling　vexed　at　this　defeat；　I　would　return　to　the　shop　and　verify

his　statement；　but　he　rarely　made　a　mistake。



My　male　readers　will　certainly　understand　the　possibility　of　this；

but