couldomitnone，wouldoccupyanotherquarterofanhour；butinsteadofindulginginuselessrecriminations，Iresignedmyselfandcontinuedmyperformance，thoughIwasapreytofrightfulanxiety。Whilespeaking，IfanciedIcouldhearthatcadencedyellofthepublictowhichthefamoussong，“Deslampions，deslampions，“wasset。Thus，eitherthroughpreoccupationoradesiretoendsooner，IfoundwhenmyperformancewasoverIhadgainedfiveminutesoutofthequarterofanhour。Assuredly，itmighthecalledthequarterofanhour’sgrace。
　　TojumpintoacarriageanddrivetothePlacedelaBoursewastheaffairofaninstant；still，twentyminuteshadelapsedsincethecurtainfell，andthatwasanenormoustime。MysonEmileandI
　　proceededuptheactors’stairsatfullspeed，butonthefirststepwehadheardthecries，whistling，andstampingoftheimpatientaudience。Whataprospect!Iknewthatfrequently，eitherrightorwrong，thepublictreatedanartiste，nomatterwhom，veryharshly，toremindhimofpunctuality。Thatsovereignalwaysappearstohaveonitslipsthewordsofanothermonarch：“I
　　wasobligedtowait。“However，wehurriedupthestepsleadingtothestage。
　　Thestagemanager，whohadbeenwatching，onhearingourhurriedsteps，criedfromthelanding：
　　“Isthatyou，M。Houdin？“
　　“Yes，sir——yes。“
　　“Raisethecurtain!“thesamevoiceshouted。
　　“Wait，wait，itisimp——“
　　Mybreathwouldnotallowmetofinishmyobjection；Ifellonachair，unabletomove。
　　“Come，M。Houdin，“themanagersaid，“DOgoonthestage，thecurtainisup，andthepublicaresoimpatient。“
　　Thedooratthebackofthestagewasopen，butIcouldnotpassthroughit；fatigueandemotionnailedmetothespot。Still，anideaoccurredtome，whichsavedmefromthepopularwrath。
　　“Goontothestage，myboy，“Isaidtomyson，“andprepareallthatiswantingforthesecond-sighttrick。“
　　Thepublicallowedthemselvestobedisarmedbythisyouth，whosefaceinspiredasympathizinginterest；andmyson，aftergravelybowingtotheaudience，quietlymadehisslightpreparations，thatistosay，hecarriedanottomantothefrontofthestage，andplacedonaneighboringtableaslate，somechalk，apackofcards，andabandage。
　　Thisslightdelayenabledmetorecovermybreathandcalmmynerves，andIadvancedinmyturnwithanattempttoassumethestereotypedsmile，inwhichIsignallyfailed，asIwassoagitated。Theaudienceatfirstremainedsilent，thentheirfacesgraduallyunwrinkled，andsoon，oneortwoclapshavingbeenventured，theywerecarriedawayandpeacewasmade。Iwaswellrewarded，however，forthisterribleordeal，asmy“second-sight“
　　nevergainedamorebrillianttriumph。
　　Anincidentgreatlyenlivenedtheterminationofmyperformance。
　　Aspectator，whohadevidentlycomeonpurposetoembarrassus，hadtriedinvainforsomeminutestobafflemyson’sclairvoyance，when，turningtome，hesaid，layingmarkedstressonhiswords：
　　“Asyoursonisasoothsayer，ofcoursehecanguessthenumberofmystall？“
　　Theimportunatespectatordoubtlesshopedtoforceusintoaconfessionofourimpotence，forhecoveredhisnumber，andtheadjacentseatsbeingoccupied，itwasapparentlyimpossibletoreadthenumbers。ButIwasonmyguardagainstallsurprises，andmyreplywasready。Still，inordertoprofitasmuchaspossiblebythesituation，Ifeignedtodrawback。
　　“Youknow，sir，“Isaid，feigninganembarrassedair，“thatmysonisneithersorcerernordiviner；hereadsthroughmyeyes，andhenceIhavegiventhisexperimentthenameofsecondsight。AsI
　　cannotseethenumberofyourstall，andtheseatsclosetoyouareoccupied，mysoncannottellityou。“
　　“Ah!Iwascertainofit，“mypersecutorsaid，intriumph，andturningtohisneighbors：“ItoldyouIwouldpinhim。“
　　“Oh，sir!youarenotgenerousinyourvictory，“Isaid，inmyturn，inatoneofmockery。“Takecare；ifyoupiquemyson’svanitytoosharply，hemaysolveyourproblem，thoughitissodifficult。“
　　“Idefyhim，“saidthespectator，leaningfirmlyagainstthebackofhisseat，tohidethenumberbetter——“yes，yes——Idefyhim!“
　　“Youbelieveittobedifficult，then？“
　　“Iwillgrantmore：itisimpossible。“
　　“Well，then，sir，thatisastrongerreasonforustotryit。Youwillnotbeangryifwetriumphinourturn？“Iadded，withapetulantsmile。
　　“Come，sir；weunderstandevasionsofthatsort。Irepeatit——I
　　challengeyouboth。“
　　Thepublicfoundgreatamusementinthisdebate，andpatientlyawaiteditsissue。
　　“Emile，“Isaidtomyson，“provetothisgentlemanthatnothingcanescapeyoursecondsight。“
　　“Itisnumbersixty-nine，“theboyanswered，immediately。
　　Noisyandheartyapplauserosefromeverypartofthetheater，inwhichouropponentjoined，for，confessinghisdefeat，heexclaimed，asheclappedhishands，“Itisastounding——
　　magnificent!“
　　ThewayIsucceededinfindingoutthenumberofthestallwasthis：Iknewbeforehandthatinalltheaterswherethestallsaredivideddownthecenterbyapassage，theunevennumbersareontheright，andtheevenontheleft。AsattheVaudevilleeachrowwascomposedoftenstalls，itfollowedthatontherighthandtheseveralrowsmustbeginwithone，twenty-one，forty-one，andsoon，increasingbytwentyeach。Guidedbythis，Ihadnodifficultyindiscoveringthatmyopponentwasseatedinnumbersixty-nine，representingthefifthstallinthefourthrow。Ihadprolongedtheconversationforthedoublepurposeofgivingmorebrilliancytomyexperiment，andgainingtimetomakemyresearches。ThusI
　　appliedmyprocessoftwosimultaneousthoughts，towhichIhavealreadyalluded。
　　AsIamnowexplainingmatters，Imayaswelltellmyreaderssomeoftheartificesthataddedmaterialbrilliancytothesecondsight。Ihavealreadysaidthisexperimentwastheresultofamaterialcommunicationbetweenmyselfandmysonwhichnoonecoulddetect。Itscombinationsenabledustodescribeanyconceivableobject；but，thoughthiswasasplendidresult，IsawthatIshouldsoonencounterunheard-ofdifficultiesinexecutingit。
　　Theexperimentofsecondsightalwaysformedtheterminationofmyperformance。EacheveningIsawunbelieversarrivewithallsortsofarticlestotriumphoverasecretwhichtheycouldnotunravel。
　　BeforegoingtoseeRobert-Houdin’ssonacouncilwasheld，inwhichanobjectthatmustembarrassthefatherwaschosen。Amongthesewerehalf-effacedantiquemedals，minerals，booksprintedincharactersofeverydescriptionlivinganddeadlanguages，coats-
　　of-arms，microscopicobjects，etc。
　　Butwhatcausedmethegreatestdifficultywasinfindingoutthecontentsofparcels，oftentiedwithastring，orevensealedup。
　　ButIhadmanagedtocontendsuccessfullyagainstalltheseattemptstoembarrassme。Iopenedboxes，purses，pocketbooks，etc。，withgreatease，andunnoticed，whileappearingtobeengagedonsomethingquitedifferent。Wereasealedparcelofferedme，I
　　cutasmallslitinthepaperwiththenailofmyleftthumb，whichIalwayspurposelykeptverylongandsharp，andthusdiscoveredwhatitcontained。Oneessentialconditionwasexcellentsight，andthatIpossessedtoperfection。Ioweditoriginallytomyoldtrade，andpracticedailyimprovedit。Anequallyindispensablenecessitywastoknowthenameofeveryobjectofferedme。Itwasnotenoughtosay，forinstance，“Itisacoin“；butmysonmustgiveitstechnicalname，itsvalue，thecountryinwhichitwascurrent，andtheyearinwhichitwasstruck。Thus，forinstance，ifanEnglishcrownwerehandedme，mysonwasexpectedtostatethatitwasstruckinthereignofGeorgeIV，andhadanintrinsicvalueofsixfrancseighteencentimes。
　　Aidedbyanexcellentmemory，wehadmanagedtoclassifyinourheadsthenameandvalueofallforeignmoney。Wecouldalsodescribeacoat-of-armsinheraldicterms。Thus，onthearmsofthehouseofX——beinghandedme，mysonwouldreply：“Fieldgules，withtwocroziersargentinpale。“ThisknowledgewasveryusefultousinthesalonsoftheFaubourgSaintGermain，wherewewerefrequentlysummoned。
　　Ihadalsolearnedthecharacters——thoughunabletotranslateaword——ofaninfinityoflanguages，suchasChinese，Russian，TurkishGreek，Hebrew，etc。Weknew，too，thenamesofallsurgicalinstruments，sothatasurgicalpocketbook，howevercomplicateditmightbe，couldnotembarrassus。Lastly，Ihadaverysufficientknowledgeofmineralogy，preciousstones，antiquities，andcuriosities；butIhadatmycommandeverypossibleresourceforacquiringthesestudies，asoneofmydearestandbestfriends，AristideleCarpentier，alearnedantiquary，anduncleofthetalentedcomposerofthesamename，had，andstillhas，acabinetofantiquecuriosities，whichmakesthekeepersoftheimperialmuseumsfiercewithenvy。MysonandIspentmanylongdaysinlearningherenamesanddatesofwhichweafterwardsmadealearneddisplay。LeCarpentiertaughtmemanythings，and，amongothers，hedescribedvarioussignsbywhichtorecognizeoldcoinswhenthedieiswornoff。Thus，aTrajan，aTiberius，oraMarcusAureliusbecameasfamiliartomeasafive-francpiece。
　　Owingtomyoldtrade，Icouldopenawatchwithease，anddoitwithonehand，soastobeabletoreadthemaker’snamewithoutthepublicsuspectingit：thenIshutupthewatchagainandthetrickwasready；mysonmanagedtherestofthebusiness。
　　Butthatpowerofmemorywhichmysonpossessedinaneminentdegreecertainlydidusthegreatestservice。Whenwewenttoprivatehouses，heneededonlyaveryrapidinspectioninordertoknowalltheobjectsinaroom，aswellasthevariousornamentswornbythespectators，suchaschatelaines，pins，eyeglasses，fans，brooches，rings，bouquets，etc。Hethuscoulddescribetheseobjectswiththegreatestease，whenIpointedthemouttohimbyoursecretcommunication。Hereisaninstance：
　　Oneevening，atahouseintheChausseed’Antin，andattheendofaperformancewhichhadbeenassuccessfulasitwasloudlyapplauded，Irememberedthat，whilepassingthroughthenextroomtotheonewewerenowin，Ihadbeggedmysontocastaglanceatalibraryandrememberthetitlesofsomeofthebooks，aswellastheordertheywerearrangedin。Noonehadnoticedthisrapidexamination。
　　“Toendthesecond-sightexperiment，sir，“Isaidtothemasterofthehouse，“Iwillprovetoyouthatmysoncanreadthroughawall。Willyoulendmeabook？“
　　Iwasnaturallyconductedtothelibraryinquestion，whichI
　　pretendednowtoseeforthefirsttime，andIlaidmyfingeronabook。
　　“Emile，“Isaidtomyson，“whatisthenameofthiswork？“
　　“ItisBuffon，“herepliedquickly。
　　“Andtheonebyitsside？“anincredulousspectatorhastenedtoask。
　　“Ontherightorleft？“mysonasked。
　　“Ontheright，“thespeakersaid，havingagoodreasonforchoosingthisbook，fortheletteringwasverysmall。
　　“TheTravelsofAnacharsistheYounger，“theboyreplied。“But，“
　　headded，“hadyouaskedthenameofthebookontheleft，sir，I
　　shouldhavesaidLamartine’sPoetry。Alittletotherightofthisrow，IseeCrebillon’sworks；below，twovolumesofFleury’sMemoirs“；andmysonthusnamedadozenbooksbeforehestopped。
　　Thespectatorshadnotsaidawordduringthisdescription，astheyfeltsoamazed；butwhentheexperimenthadended，allcomplimentedusbyclappingtheirhands。