_The L. with N_. You could if you liked--you could tell him my nerves
won't stand it--the trick will be every _bit_ as good if he only
_pretends_ to fire, I'm sure.

_John_. Oh, nonsense!--you can stand it very well if you _like_.

_The L. w. N_. I _can't_, John.... There, he's raising it to his
shoulder. JOHN, I _must_ go out. I shall scream if I sit here, I
_know_ I shall!

_John_. No, no--what's the use? He'll have fired long before you get
to the door. Much better stay where you are, and do your screaming
sitting down. (_The Conjuror fires._) There, you see, you _didn't_
scream, after all!

_The L. w. N_. I screamed to _myself_--which is ever so much worse for
me; but you never _will_ understand me till it's too late!

[Herr VON K. _performs another trick._

_First Lady in Plush Cloak_. That was very clever, wasn't it? I can't
_imagine_ how it was done!

_The M. in E.D. (in whom the memory of his desecrated hat is still
rankling_). Oh, can't you? Simplest thing in the world--any child
could do it!

_Second Lady_. What, find the rabbit inside those boxes, when they
were all corded up, and sealed!

_The M. in E.D_. You don't mean to say you were taken in by _that_?
Why, it was another rabbit, of course!

_First Lady_. But even if it _was_ another rabbit, it was wearing the
borrowed watch round its neck.

_The M. in E. D_. Easy enough to slip the watch in, if all the boxes
have false bottoms.

_Second L_. Yes, but he passed the boxes round for us to examine.

_The M. in E. D_. Boxes--but not _those_ boxes.

_First L_. But how could he slip the watch in when somebody was
holding it all the time in a paper bag?

_The M. in E. D_. Ah, _I_ saw how it was done--but it would take too
long to explain it now. I _have_ seen it so well performed that you
_couldn't_ spot it. But this chap's a regular duffer!

_Herr V. K. (who finds this sort of thing rather disturbing_). Lyties
and Shentilmans, I see zere is von among us who is a brofessional like
myself, and knows how all my leedle dricks is done. Now--_suddenly
abandoning his accent_--I am always griteful for hanythink that will
distrack the attention of the orjonce from what is going on upon the
Stige; naterally so, because it prevents you from follerin' my actions
too closely, and so I now call upon this gentleman in the hevenin'
dress jest to speak hup a very little louder than what he 'as
been doin', so that you will be enabled to 'ear hevery word of