magic and real detectives-第28节

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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　described　various　signs　by　which　to　recognize　old

coins　when　the　die　is　worn　off。　　Thus；　a　Trajan；　a　Tiberius；　or　a

Marcus　Aurelius　became　as　familiar　to　me　as　a　five…franc　piece。



Owing　to　my　old　trade；　I　could　open　a　watch　with　ease；　and　do　it

with　one　hand；　so　as　to　be　able　to　read　the　maker's　name　without

the　public　suspecting　it：　then　I　shut　up　the　watch　again　and　the

trick　was　ready；　my　son　managed　the　rest　of　the　business。



But　that　power　of　memory　which　my　son　possessed　in　an　eminent

degree　certainly　did　us　the　greatest　service。　　When　we　went　to

private　houses；　he　needed　only　a　very　rapid　inspection　in　order　to

know　all　the　objects　in　a　room；　as　well　as　the　various　ornaments

worn　by　the　spectators；　such　as　chatelaines；　pins；　eyeglasses；

fans；　brooches；　rings；　bouquets；　etc。　　He　thus　could　describe　these

objects　with　the　greatest　ease；　when　I　pointed　them　out　to　him　by

our　secret　communication。　　Here　is　an　instance：



One　evening；　at　a　house　in　the　Chaussee　d'Antin；　and　at　the　end　of

a　performance　which　had　been　as　successful　as　it　was　loudly

applauded；　I　remembered　that；　while　passing　through　the　next　room

to　the　one　we　were　now　in；　I　had　begged　my　son　to　cast　a　glance　at

a　library　and　remember　the　titles　of　some　of　the　books；　as　well　as

the　order　they　were　arranged　in。　　No　one　had　noticed　this　rapid

examination。



〃To　end　the　second…sight　experiment；　sir；〃　I　said　to　the　master　of

the　house；　〃I　will　prove　to　you　that　my　son　can　read　through　a

wall。　　Will　you　lend　me　a　book？〃



I　was　naturally　conducted　to　the　library　in　question；　which　I

pretended　now　to　see　for　the　first　time；　and　I　laid　my　finger　on　a

book。



〃Emile；〃　I　said　to　my　son；　〃what　is　the　name　of　this　work？〃



〃It　is　Buffon；〃　he　replied　quickly。



〃And　the　one　by　its　side？〃　an　incredulous　spectator　hastened　to

ask。



〃On　the　right　or　left？〃　my　son　asked。



〃On　the　right；〃　the　speaker　said；　having　a　good　reason　for　choos