pages: unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf, 274
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unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 274 | CHAPTER IX THE DISAPPEARING HANDKERCHIEF S UPREME egotism and utter disregard for the truth may be traced in all of Robert-Houdin's writings, but they reached a veritable climax when he indited chapter XVI. of his "Memoirs." During the course of this chapter he described the so-called invention and first production of the disappearing-handkerchief trick. According to the American edition of his "Memoirs," page 3°3, he received a command to appear before Louis Philippe and his family at St. Cloud in November, 1846. During the six days intervening between the official in- vitation and his appearance before the royal family, he arranged a trick from which, he states, he had every reason to expect excellent results. On page 305 he goes even further in his claims and announces: "All my tricks were favorably received, and the one I had invented for the occasion gained me unbounded applause." He then gives the following description of the trick and its performance: "I borrowed from my noble spectators several handker- chiefs, which I made into a parcel, and laid on the table. Then, at my request, different persons wrote on the cards the names of places whither they desired their handker- chiefs to be invisibly transported. "When this had been done, I begged the King to take [ 245 ] |