magic and real detectives-第27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！



reason。　　I　pretended　to　accede　to　her　wishes。



〃If　it　be　so；　madam；　I　yield　to　your　request。　　Tell　me　what　you

require。〃



〃I　have　told　you；　sir；　I　wish　for　vengeance；　and　there　is　only　one

method　to〃



Here　there　was　a　fresh　interruption；　and　the　young　lady；　calmed　by

my　apparent　submission；　as　well　as　embarrassed　by　the　request　she

had　to　make　of　me；　became　again　timid　and　confused。



〃Well；　madam？〃



〃Well；　sir；　I　know　not　how　to　tell　youhow　to　explain　to　youbut

I　fancy　there　are　certain　meanscertain　spellswhich　render　it

impossibleimpossible　for　a　man　to　beunfaithful。〃



〃I　now　understand　what　you　wish；　madam。　　It　is　a　certain　magic

practice　employed　in　the　middle　ages。　　Nothing　is　easier；　and　I

will　satisfy　you。〃



Decided　on　playing　the　farce　to　the　end；　I　took　down　the　largest

book　I　could　find　in　my　library；　turned　over　the　leaves；　stopped　at

a　page　which　I　pretended　to　scan　with　profound　attention；　and　then

addressing　the　lady；　who　followed　all　my　movements　anxiously；



〃Madam；〃　I　said　confidentially；　〃the　spell　I　am　going　to　perform

renders　it　necessary　for　me　to　know　the　name　of　the　person；　have

the　kindness；　then；　to　tell　it　me。〃



〃Julian！〃　she　said；　in　a　faint　voice。



With　all　the　gravity　of　a　real　sorcerer；　I　solemnly　thrust　a　pin

through　a　lighted　candle；　and　pronounced　some　cabalistic　words。

After　which；　blowing　out　the　candle；　and　turning　to　the　poor

creature；　I　said：



〃Madam；　it　is　done；　your　wish　is　accomplished。〃



〃Oh；　thank　you；　sir；〃　she　replied；　with　the　expression　of　the

profoundest　gratitude；　and　at　the　same　moment　she　laid　a　purse　on

the　table　and　rushed　away。　　I　ordered　my　servant　to　follow　her　to

her　house；　and　obtain　all　the　information　he　could　about　her；　and　I

learned　she　had　been　a　widow　for　a　short　time；　and　that　the　loss　of

an　adored　husband　had　disturbed　her　reason。　　The　next　day　I　visited

her　relatives；　and；　returning　them　the　purse；　I　told　them　the　scene

the　details　of　which　the　reader　has　just　perused。



This　scene；　with　some　others　that　preceded　and　followed　it；

compelled　me　to　take　measures　to　guard　myself　against　bores　of

every　description。　　I　could　not　dream；　as　formerly；　of　exiling

myself　in　the　country；　but　I　employed　a　similar　resource：　this　was

to　shut　myself　up　in　my　workroom；　and　organize　around　me　a　system

of　defense　against　those　whom　I　called；　in　my　ill…temper；　thieves

of　time。



I　daily　received　visits　from　persons　who　were　utter　strangers　to

me；　some　were　worth　knowing；　but　the　majority；　gaining　an

introduction　under　the　most　futile　pretexts；　only　came　to　kill　a

portion　of　their　leisure　time　with　me。　　It　was　necessary　to

distinguish　the　tares　from　the　wheat；　and　this　is　the　arrangement　I

made：



When　one　of　these　gentlemen　rang　at　my　door；　an　electric

communication　struck　a　bell　in　my　workroom；　I　was　thus　warned　and

put　on　my　guard。　　My　servant　opened　the　door；　and；　as　is　customary；

inquired　the　visitor's　name；　while　I；　for　my　part；　laid　my　ear　to　a

tube；　arranged　for　the　purpose；　which　conveyed　to　me　every　word。

If；　according　to　his　reply；　I　thought　it　as　well　not　to　receive

him；　I　pressed　a　button；　and　a　white　mark　that　appeared　in　a

certain　part　of　the　hall　announced　I　was　not　at　home　to　him。　　My

servant　then　stated　I　was　out；　and　begged　the　visitor　to　apply　to

the　manager。



Sometimes　it　happened　that　I　erred　in　my　judgment；　and　regretted

having　granted　an　audience；　but　I　had　another　mode　of　shortening　a

bore's　visit。　　I　had　placed　behind　the　sofa　on　which　I　sat　an

electric　spring；　communicating　with　a　bell　my　servant　could　hear。

In　case　of　need；　and　while　talking；　I　threw　my　arm　carelessly　over

the　back　of　the　sofa；　touching　the　spring；　and　the　bell　rang。　　Then

my　servant；　playing　a　little　farce；　opened　the　front　door；　rang　the

bell；　which　could　be　heard　from　the　room　where　I　sat；　and　came　to

tell　me　that　M。　X…　（a　name　invented　for　the　occasion）　wished　to

speak　to　me。　　I　ordered　M。　X…　to　be　shown　into　an　adjoining　room；

and　it　was　very　rare　that　my　bore　did　not　raise　the　siege。　　No　one

can　form　an　idea　how　much　time　I　gained　by　this　happy　arrangement；

or　how　many　times　I　blessed　my　imagination　and　the　celebrated

savant　to　whom　the　discovery　of　galvanism　is　due！



This　feeling　can　be　easily　explained；　for　my　time　was　of

inestimable　value。　　I　husbanded　it　like　a　treasure；　and　never

sacrificed　it；　unless　the　sacrifice　might　help　me　to　discover　new

experiments　destined　to　stimulate　public　curiosity。



To　support　my　determination　in　making　my　researches；　I　had　ever

before　me　this　maxim：



IT　IS　MORE　DIFFICULT　TO　SUPPORT　ADMIRATION　THAN　TO　EXCITE　IT。



And　this　other；　an　apparent　corollary　of　the　preceding：



THE　FASHION　AN　ARTIST　ENJOYS　CAN　ONLY　LAST　AS　HIS　TALENT　DAILY

INCREASES。



Nothing　increases　a　professional　man's　merit　so　much　as　the

possession　of　an　independent　fortune；　this　truth　may　be　coarse；　but

it　is　indubitable。　　Not　only　was　I　convinced　of　these　principles　of

high　economy；　but　I　also　knew　that　a　man　must　strive　to　profit　by

the　fickle　favor　of　the　public；　which　equally　descends　if　it　does

not　rise。　　Hence　I　worked　my　reputation　as　much　as　I　could。　　In

spite　of　my　numerous　engagements；　I　found　means　to　give

performances　in　all　the　principal　theaters；　though　great

difficulties　frequently　arose；　as　my　performance　did　not　end　till

half…past　ten；　and　I　could　only　fulfill　my　other　engagements　after

that　hour。



Eleven　o'clock　was　generally　the　hour　fixed　for　my　appearance　on　a

strange　stage；　and　my　readers　may　judge　of　the　speed　required　to

proceed　to　the　theater　in　so　short　a　time　and　make　my　preparations。

It　is　true　that　the　moments　were　as　well　counted　as　employed；　and

my　curtain　had　hardly　fallen　than；　rushing　toward　the　stairs；　I　got

before　my　audience；　and　jumped　into　a　vehicle　that　bore　me　off　at

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