Читать книгу Modern Magic - Professor Hoffmann - Страница 6

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There are plenty of good minor tricks which may be performed anywhere, and with little or no previous preparation, but as soon as the student has outgrown these humbler feats, and aspires to amuse his friends or the public with a pre-arranged séance, his first necessity will be a proper table. We do not now refer to the elaborate combination of traps, pistons, etc., which is used for stage performances. This will be duly described in its proper place. The table necessary for an average drawing-room exhibition differs from an ordinary table in two points only—its height, which should be six or eight inches greater than that of an ordinary table—and the addition of a hidden shelf or ledge at the back. Its form and dimensions are very much a matter of fancy and convenience. For most purposes nothing is better than a plain oblong deal table. It should have turned legs of some harder wood, stained and polished, and these, if it is desired to make the table portable, should be screwed into the four corners, so as to be readily taken off and put on again as may be required. In length the table may be three to four feet, and in breadth eighteen inches to two feet. Three feet by twenty inches is a very convenient size. At the back should be placed, about six inches below the level of the top of the table, a projecting shelf, six to eight inches in width, and extending nearly from end to end. This shelf, which is technically known as the servante, should be covered with thick woollen cloth, in order to deaden the sound of any object falling on it.

Some performers have a rim about half an inch high running along the outer edge of this shelf; while others, in place of the shelf, use a wooden tray, fixed in the same position, and one to two inches in depth. The manner of fixing the shelf is optional. In some tables it is made to slide in and out like a drawer; in others to fold up on hinges against the back of the table, or itself to form the back. This latter is the most convenient mode, as the opening made by the flap when let down gives access to the interior of the table, which forms a convenient receptacle for necessary articles. In this case, the upper part of the table is made box fashion; i.e., is bottomed throughout with wood on a level with the hinges of the servante, giving an enclosed space under the whole extent of the table. Over the table should be thrown an ordinary cloth table-cover, of such a size as to hang down about ten or fifteen inches at the front and sides, but not more than an inch or so on the side away from the audience. To prevent its slipping, the cloth may be fastened on this side with a couple of drawing pins. Where traps are used, and the cloth has therefore to be cut, the hanging cloth is dispensed with, and the table is covered with cloth glued on the top, with a margin round it, after the fashion of a card-table, and this may be done, if preferred, even where the table is without mechanism. The adoption of this plan allows of the introduction of gold mouldings, or other ornamentation, on the front and sides. In our own opinion, unless there is some special reason to the contrary in the mechanical arrangements of the table, the plain hanging cover is preferable, as being least suggestive of apparatus or preparation. The precise height of the table is best determined by the stature of the performer. The servante, or hidden shelf, should be just so high from the ground as to be level with the knuckles of the performer as his arm hangs by his side; and the top of the table should, as already stated, be about six inches higher than this. It will be found that this height will enable the performer secretly to take up or lay down any article thereon without stooping or bending the arm, either of which movements would suggest to the spectators that his hand was occupied in some manner behind the table. One of the first tasks of the novice should be to acquire the power of readily picking up or laying down any article on the servante, without making any corresponding movement of the body, and especially without looking down at his hands. If the performer is uncertain as to the precise whereabouts of a given article, he must ascertain it by a quick glance as he approaches his table, and not after he has placed himself behind it. From this moment he must not again look down, as if once the audience suspect that he has a secret receptacle behind his table, half the magic of his tricks is thenceforth destroyed.

An oblong box, twelve or fourteen inches in length by three in depth, well padded with wadding, and placed on the servante, will be found very useful in getting rid of small articles, such as coin, oranges, etc., as such articles may be dropped into the box without causing any sound, and therefore without attracting attention.

In default of a table regularly made for the purpose, the amateur may with little difficulty adapt an ordinary table for use as a makeshift. A common library or kitchen table having a drawer on one side, and raised on four bricks or blocks of wood to the requisite height will answer the purpose very fairly. The table must be covered with a cloth; and should have the drawer pulled out about six inches (the drawer side being, of course, away from the audience) to form the servante. A still better extempore conjuring table may be manufactured in a few minutes with the aid of a good-sized folding bagatelle board. Place the shut-up board on a card or writing table (which should be six or eight inches shorter than the board), in such manner that there may be left behind it (on the side which is intended to be farthest from the audience), a strip of table six or seven inches in width. This will form the servante. Throw an ordinary cloth table-cover over the bagatelle board, letting it hang down a foot or eighteen inches in front, and tucking its opposite edge under the hinder edge of the board, whose weight will prevent it slipping. If the cloth is too large, it must be folded accordingly before placing it on the table. The table thus extemporized will be of a convenient height, and will answer very fairly for the purposes of an ordinary drawing-room performance.

The conjuror, however, may be called upon to give a sample of his art when neither regular nor extemporized table is available; and even where he is sufficiently provided in this respect, he will frequently have occasion to produce or get rid of a given article without retiring behind his table to do so. The wizards of a century ago met this necessity by wearing openly in front of them a sort of bag or apron, called in the parlance of the French conjurors, a gibecière, from its supposed resemblance to a game-bag. This was used not only to carry the cups and balls, and other minor paraphernalia of the art, but for the purpose of procuring, exchanging, or getting rid of any small article at the pleasure of the performer. In fact, this bag supplied the place of the servante, which was not then known. It is hardly necessary to observe that the gibecière has been long since disused, and a performer who should now appear in a pocketed apron would run much risk of being taken for a hairdresser. Although, however, the gibecière is not now, as of old, worn openly, the conjuror of the present day is provided with certain secret substitutes, to explain which it is necessary to say a few words as to