magic and real detectives-第26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！



his　statement；　but　he　rarely　made　a　mistake。



My　male　readers　will　certainly　understand　the　possibility　of　this；

but　they　will　recognize　the　difficulty。　　As　for　my　lady　readers；　I

am　convinced　beforehand　they　will　not　be　of　the　same　opinion；　for

they　daily　perform　far　more　astounding　feats。　　Thus；　for　instance；

I　can　safely　assert　that　a　lady　seeing　another　pass　at　full　speed

in　a　carriage；　will　have　had　time　to　analyze　her　toilet　from　her

bonnet　to　her　shoes；　and　be　able　to　describe　not　only　the　fashion

and　quality　of　the　stuffs；　but　also　say　if　the　lace　be　real　or　only

machine…made。　　I　have　known　ladies　do　this。



This　natural；　or　acquired；　faculty　among　ladies；　but　which　my　son

and　I　had　only　gained　by　constant　practice；　was　of　great　service　in

my　performances；　for　while　I　was　executing　my　tricks；　I　could　see

everything　that　passed　around　me；　and　thus　prepare　to　foil　any

difficulties　presented　me。　　This　exercise　had　given　me；　so　to

speak；　the　power　of　following　two　ideas　simultaneously；　and　nothing

is　more　favorable　in　conjuring　than　to　be　able　to　think　at　the　same

time　both　of　what　you　are　saying　and　of　what　you　are　doing。　　I

eventually　acquired　such　a　knack　in　this　that　I　frequently　invented

new　tricks　while　going　through　my　performances。　　One　day；　even；　I

made　a　bet　I　would　solve　a　problem　in　mechanics　while　taking　my

part　in　conversation。　　We　were　talking　of　the　pleasure　of　a　country

life；　and　I　calculated　during　this　time　the　quantity　of　wheels　and

pinions；　as　well　as　the　necessary　cogs；　to　produce　certain

revolutions　required；　without　once　failing　in　my　reply。



This　slight　explanation　will　be　sufficient　to　show　what　is　the

essential　basis　of　second　sight；　and　I　will　add　that　a　secret　and

unnoticeable　correspondence＇1＇　existed　between　my　son　and　myself；

by　which　I　could　announce　to　him　the　name；　nature；　and　bulk　of

objects　handed　me　by　spectators。





＇1＇　〃Telegraphy。〃





As　none　understood　my　mode　of　action；　they　were　tempted　to　believe

in　something　extraordinary；　and；　indeed；　my　son　Emile；　then　aged

twelve；　possessed　all　the　essential　qualities　to　produce　this

opinion；　for　his　pale；　intellectual；　and　ever　thoughtful　face

represented　the　type　of　a　boy　gifted　with　some　supernatural　power。



Two　months　were　incessantly　employed　in　erecting　the　scaffolding　of

our　tricks；　and　when　we　were　quite　confident　of　being　able　to

contend　against　the　difficulties　of　such　an　undertaking；　we

announced　the　first　representation　of　second　sight。　　On　the　12th　of

February；　1846；　I　printed　in　the　center　of　my　bill　the　following

singular　announcement：



〃In　this　performance　M。　Robert…Houdin's　son；　who　is　gifted　with　a

marvelous　second　sight；　after　his　eyes　have　been　covered　with　a

thick　bandage；　will　designate　every　object　presented　to　him　by　the

audience。〃



I　cannot　say　whether　this　announcement　attracted　any　spectators；

for　my　room　was　constantly　crowded；　still　I　may　affirm；　what　may

seem　very　extraordinary；　that　the　experiment　of　second　sight；　which

afterwards　became　so　fashionable；　produced　no　effect　on　the　first

performance。　　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　the　spectators　fancied

themselves　the　dupes　of　accomplices；　but　I　was　much　annoyed　by　the

result；　as　I　had　built　on　the　surprise　I　should　produce；　still；

having　no　reason　to　doubt　its　ultimate　success；　I　was　tempted　to

make　a　second　trial；　which　turned　out　well。



The　next　evening　I　noticed　in　my　room　several　persons　who　had　been

present　on　the　previous　night；　and　I　felt　they　had　come　a　second

time　to　assure　themselves　of　the　reality　of　the　experiment。　　It

seems　they　were　convinced；　for　my　success　was　complete；　and　amply

compensated　for　my　former　disappointment。



I　especially　remember　a　mark　of　singular　approval　with　which　one　of

my　pit　audience　favored　me。　　My　son　had　named　to　him　several

objects　he　offered　in　succession；　but　not　feeling　satisfied；　my

incredulous　friend；　rising；　as　if　to　give　more　importance　to　the

difficulty　he　was　about　to　present；　handed　me　an　instrument

peculiar　to　cloth　merchants；　and　employed　to　count　the　number　of

threads。　　Acquiescing　in　his　wish；　I　said　to　my　boy；　〃What　do　I

hold　in　my　hand？〃



〃It　is　an　instrument　to　judge　the　fineness　of　cloth；　and　called　a

thread　counter。〃



〃By　Jove！〃　my　spectator　said；　energetically；　〃it　is　marvelous。　　If

I　had　paid　ten　francs　to　see　it；　I　should　not　begrudge　them。〃



From　this　moment　my　room　was　much　too　small；　and　was　crowded　every

evening。



Still；　success　is　not　entirely　rose…colored；　and　I　could　easily

narrate　many　disagreeable　scenes　produced　by　the　reputation　I　had

of　being　a　sorcerer；　but　I　will　only　mention　one；　which　forms　a

resume　of　all　I　pass　over：



A　young　lady　of　elegant　manners　paid　me　a　visit　one　day；　and

although　her　face　was　hidden　by　a　thick　veil；　my　practiced　eyes

perfectly　distinguished　her　features。　　She　was　very　pretty。



My　incognita　would　not　consent　to　sit　down　till　she　was　assured　we

were　alone；　and　that　I　was　the　real　Robert…Houdin。　　I　also　seated

myself；　and　assuming　the　attitude　of　a　man　prepared　to　listen；　I

bent　slightly　to　my　visitor；　as　if　awaiting　her　pleasure　to　explain

to　me　the　object　of　her　mysterious　visit。　　To　my　great　surprise；

the　young　lady；　whose　manner　betrayed　extreme　emotion；　maintained

the　most　profound　silence；　and　I　began　to　find　the　visit　very

strange；　and　was　on　the　point　of　forcing　an　explanation；　at　any

hazard；　when　the　fair　unknown　timidly　ventured　these　words：



〃Good　Heavens！　sir；　I　know　not　how　you　will　interpret　my　visit。〃



Here　she　stopped；　and　let　her　eyes　sink　with　a　very　embarrassed

air；　then；　making　a　violent　effort；　she　continued：



〃What　I　have　to　ask　of　you；　sir；　is　very　difficult　to　explain。〃



〃Speak；　madam；　I　beg；〃　I　said；　politely；　〃and　I　will　try　to　guess

what　you　cannot　explain　to　me。〃



And　I　began　asking　myself　what　this　reserve　meant。



〃In　the　first　place；〃　the　young　lady　said；　in　a　low　voice；　and

looking　round　her；　〃I　must　tell　you　confidentially　that　I　loved；　my

love　was　returned；　and　II　am　betrayed。〃



At　the　last　word　the　lady　raised　her　head；　overcame　the　timidity

she　felt；　and　said；　in　a　firm　and　assured　voice：



〃Yes；　siryes；　I　am　betrayed；　and　for　that　reason　I　have　come　to

you。〃



〃Really；　madam；〃　I　said；　much　surprised　at　this　strange　confession；

〃I　do　not　see　how　I　can　help　you　in　such　a　matter。〃



〃Oh；　sir；　I　entreat　you；〃　said　my　fair　visitor；　clasping　her　hands

〃I　implore　you　not　to　abandon　me！〃



I　had　great　difficulty　in　keeping　my　countenance；　and　yet　I　felt　an

extreme　curiosity　to　know　the　history　concealed　behind　this

mystery。



〃Calm　yourself；　madam；〃　I　remarked；　in　a　tone　of　tender　sympathy；

〃tell　me　what　you　would　of　me；　and　if　it　be　in　my　power〃



〃If　it　be　in　your　power！〃　the　young　lady　said；　quickly；　〃why；

nothing　is　more　easy；　sir。〃



〃Explain　yourself；　madam。〃



〃Well；　sir；　I　wish　to　be　avenged。〃



〃In　what　way？〃



〃How；　you　know　better　than　I；　sir；　must　I　teach　you？　　You　have　in

your　power　means　to〃



〃I；　madam？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　you！　for　you　are　a　sorcerer；　and　cannot　deny　it。〃



At　this　word　sorcerer；　I　was　much　inclined　to　laugh；　but　I　was

restrained　by　the　incognita's　evident　emotion。　　Still；　wishing　to

put　an　end　to　a　scene　which　was　growing　ridiculous；　I　said；　in　a

politely　ironical　tone：



〃Unfortunately；　madam；　you　give　me　a　title　I　never　possessed。〃



〃How；　sir！〃　the　young　woman　exclaimed；　in　a　quick　tone；　〃you　will

not　allow　you　are〃



〃A　sorcerer；　madam？　　Oh；　no；　I　will　not。〃



〃You　will　not？〃



〃No；　a　thousand　times　no；　madam。〃



At　these　words　my　visitor　rose　hastily；　muttered　a　few　incoherent

words；　appeared　suffering　from　terrible　emotion；　and　then　drawing

near　me　with　flaming　eyes　and　passionate　gestures；　repeated：



〃Ah；　you　will　not！　　Very　good；　I　now　know　what　I　have　to　do。〃



Stupefied　by　such　an　outbreak；　I　looked　at　her　fixedly；　and　began

to　suspect　the　cause　of　her　extraordinary　conduct。



〃There　are　two　modes　of　acting；〃　she　said；　with　terrible

volubility；　〃toward　people　who　devote　themselves　to　magic　arts

entreaty　and　menaces。　　You　would　not　yield　to　the　first　of　these

means；　hence；　I　must　employ　the　second。　　Stay；〃　she　added；　〃perhaps

this　will　induce　you　to　speak。〃



And；　lifting　up　her　cloak；　she　laid　her　hand　on　the　hilt　of　a

dagger　passed　through　her　girdle。　　At　the　same　time　she　suddenly

threw　back　her　veil；　and　displayed　features　in　which　all　the　signs

of　rage　and　madness　could　be　traced。　　No　longer　having　a　doubt　as

to　the　person　I　had　to　deal　with；　my　first　movement　was　to　rise　and

stand　on　my　guard；　but　this　first　feeling　overcome；　I　repented　the

thought　of　a　struggle　with　the　unhappy　woman；　and　determined　on

employing　a　method　almost　always　successful　with　those　deprived　of

reason。　　I　pretended　to　accede　to　her　wishes。



〃If　it　be　so；　madam；　I