A Conjurers Confessions | Page 2

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 other--in 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.