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。