handkerchief was made to vanish, to be discovered in the orange. The butterflies, which were fastened by wires to the stalk and fixed on delicate spiral springs, invisible at a little distance, flew out of the orange of their own accord, carrying with them the handkerchief, as soon as the fruit fell apart. IV. In the year 1846 Houdin was summoned to the Palace of Saint-Cloud to give a performance before Louis Philippe and his Court, whereupon he invented his remarkable trick of the enchanted casket, which created great excitement in the Parisian journals, and gained him no little fame. He had six days to prepare for the _séance magique_. Early on the appointed morning a van from the royal stables came to convey him and his son, together with the magic paraphernalia, to the palace of the king. A stage had been erected in one of the handsome salons of St. Cloud, the windows of which opened out on an orangery lined with double rows of orange-trees, “each growing in its square box on wheels. A sentry was placed at the door to see that the conjurer was not disturbed in his preparations. The King himself dropped in once to ask the entertainer if he had everything necessary.” At four o’clock in the afternoon, a brilliant company assembled in the hall to witness the performance. The _pièce de résistance_ of the séance was Cagliostro’s casket, the effect of which is best described in Houdin’s own words: “I borrowed from my noble spectators several handkerchiefs, which I made into a parcel, and laid on the table. Then, at my request, different persons wrote on blank cards the names of places whither they desired their handkerchiefs to be invisibly transported. “When this had been done, I begged the King to take three of the cards at hazard, and choose from them the place he might consider most suitable. “ ‘Let us see,’ Louis Philippe said, ‘what this one says: “I desire the handkerchiefs to be found beneath one of the {144} candelabra on the mantelpiece.” That is too easy for a sorcerer; so we will pass to the next card: “The handkerchiefs are to be transported to the dome of the Invalides.” That would suit me, but it is much too far, not for the handkerchiefs, but for us, ‘Ah, ah!’ the King added, looking at the last card, ‘I am afraid, Monsieur Robert-Houdin, I am about to embarrass you. Do you know what this card proposes?’ “ ‘Will your majesty deign to inform me?’ “ ‘It is desired that you should send the handkerchiefs into the chest of the last orange-tree on the right of the avenue.’ “ ‘Only that, sir? Deign to order, and I will obey.’ “ ‘Very good, then; I should like to see such a magic act: I, therefore, choose the orange-tree chest.’ “The king gave some orders in a low voice, and I directly saw several persons run to the orange-tree, in order to watch it and prevent any fraud. “I was delighted at this precaution, which must add to the effect of my experiment, for the trick was already arranged, and the precaution hence too late.