JVIagic Circle
St. George's Hall London,
\
WOES OF A WIZARD
WOES OF A WIZARD
DAVID DEVANT (Managing Partner oj Maskelyne 3> Cooke s Provincial
Company)
LONDON S. H. BOUSFIELD & CO., LTD. NORFOLK HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, W.C.
TO MY FRIEND
JOHN NEVIL MASKELYNE THE MASTER OF MY CRAFT
PREFACE
S
O M E T I M E S , when the work has been finished and we have been sitting round the fire, some of my friends have been kind enough to be interested at hearing me relate my experiences. It has been suggested to me that these true tales which amused my friends might also interest the public. I can only hope that the man who put that idea into my head knows the public. If my little book helps anyone to pass an hour away pleasantly, I shall be well satisfied. D. D. HILLSIDE, BELSIZE ROAD, IIAMTSTEAD.
July 1903.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I PAGE
THE GREAT COURT CONJURER
9
CHAPTER
II
THE HOT PUDDING
19
CHAPTER OTHER
PEOPLE'S
WOES
.
.
.
CHAPTER PISTOL
STORIES
.
.
III
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2 J
.
.
.
3 9
IV .
CHAPTER DEADHEADS
.
V .
.
.
.
-
4
9
CHAPTER VI T H E
T H E
LADY
W H O W O U L D
M A N W H O M A K E S
N O T VANISH
C H A P T E R
VII
M O N E Y
. 7
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6 7
.
7
8
8
Contents CHAPTER VIII PAGE
SOME QUEER REQUESTS
87 CHAPTER
CONFEDERATES
AND
MESMERISTS
IX .
CHAPTER A REAL ROMANCE.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
97
X
CHAPTER A FEW PUPILS
.
.
.
.
I13
.
.
.
.126
XI .
CHAPTER XII MINOR WOES,
135 CHAPTER XIII
MY NOTE HOOK
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-151
CHAPTER XIV SELLS
T 62
CHAPTER XV SOME COMPENSATIONS
WOES OF A WIZARD CHAPTER I THE GREAT COURT CONJURER
T
H E only lessons in conjuring that I ever received were obtained in rather a curious way. I came across a man who was giving conjuring and second-sight performances in a small shop in Islington. The price of admission was a penny, and even then business was not always good. In order to stimulate the curiosity of those who hung about outside the shop door, the conjurer would occasionally emerge from the shop and give a free show on the pavement. His usual plan was to produce money from the whiskers of benevolent old gentlemen, from babies' feeding bottles ; in fact, from any place where money is not usually to be found. The conjurer once made the fatal 9
io
Woes of a Wizard
mistake of producing half-a-crown from the pocket of a cabman, who had got down from his box to go to the public-house next door. The cabman immediately said that the halfcrown found in his pocket by the conjurer was his half-crown. He said that he knew it was his, because he had taken only one half-crown that day and so he should stick to it. At the time five people were clamouring to pay their fivepence and to go into the show, and therefore the conjurer did not stop to argue the matter with the cabman. I belie.ve that the cabman was subsequently charged with attempting to pass a bad half-crown. I was one of the five persons who paid for admission to the show on that day, and I was so amazed by what I saw there, that when it was over I asked the conjurer to tell me how one of the tricks was done. At that time I had no knowledge of conjuring or conjurers. The man replied to my request by making loud remarks about the impudence of the rising generation. Then he drew the attention of the public on the pavement to the size of my hat, and the roundness of my face ; in short, I provided him and his audience with a free entertainment for about five minutes. Then I gently hinted that I would pay for the information I desired. The man's manner immediately changed.
The Great Court Conjurer
n
He assured me that he had intended " no offence " by his remarks about myself; and on my telling him that I felt it an honour to be spoken to by the " Great Court Conjurer," as he called himself, he took me into one corner of the shop and explained one simple trick, for which I paid one shilling and sixpence—all the money I possessed. "You see, sir, it's all quite simple," he said in a loud voice, as he showed me out of the shop—" all quite simple—almost as simple as you are." Then the people on the pavement giggled at me again. I thought it was most unkind of the Great Court Conjurer, after I had spent so much good money with him. But I forgave him, and when I had saved up another shilling I went to him again. He remembered me most kindly, and taught me another trick. In this way I must have spent about fifteen shillings with the Great Court Conjurer, and I was quite disappointed when he told me, one day, that he was leaving the neighbourhood. " Look 'ere," he said, " if you'll get your friend to do me a picture according to my orders, I'll give the 'ole game away to yer." The offer seemed so generous that I at once closed with it. I had occasionally taken a young artist with me to see the show, and the Great
12
Woes of a Wizard
Court Conjurer had been very interested in watching him while he sketched. I wished that there might be no misunderstanding between the Great Court Conjurer and myself, so I went back to him and asked him what he meant by " giving the whole game away." "Why, I'll teach yer all the bloomin' tricks there ever was, is, or could be," he said. "All those I've seen you perform?" I asked eagerly. " Yes," he replied, " all of 'em, and a lot more." I was so delighted at the prospect of learning the complete art of conjuring (I have since discovered that one has never learnt all there is to learn about conjuring) that I rushed off at once to my artist friend, and begged him to begin a picture there and then. I forget what I promised him for his work, but I know that he considered the sum insufficient. He pointed out that by simply putting his brush on a small canvas a few times he was going to make my fortune. Therefore, I ought to pay handsomely. "You may be quite sure," he said, "that a man like your friend the conjurer is no fool. If he had ever thought of being a fool he would never have been a conjurer. Well, then, since he is no fool, his opinion is worth having ; and if he has seen, from the few sketches I have
The Great Court Conjurer
13
made at his place, that my work is good, you may be quite sure that it is very good ; otherwise he would not offer to give away all the secrets of his work for one small picture from me. Why, man, your fortune's made ! In exchange for one small picture from me you learn all there is to learn about conjuring from a master of the art." Inexperienced as I was, I had my doubts about the Great Court Conjurer being a master of the art; but I did not discuss the point, and eventually we came to terms. " What sort of a picture do you think he wants?" asked the artist. " I don't know. He said a picture ' to my orders.' " " Oh," said the artist, " I expect he wants a little landscape, or something of that sort, to hang outside his place as an attraction to the public. You know," he added confidently, " I always thought that conjurer was a cut above the ordinary conjurers; he has refined tastes, you may depend upon it." Seeing that I was striving every day to become a conjurer myself, I thought this was rather unkind, but I was so anxious not to deter my friend from painting the picture that I refrained from starting a discussion about conjurers and their refinement—or lack of it.
14
Woes of a Wizard
" I've come to paint that picture for you," said my friend, the artist, as we entered the shop in which the Great Court Conjurer performed. "And when it's done you won't forget your part of the bargain ?" I put in. " No, I won't forget,—when it's done," he added meaningly. " Oh, I can do it for you," said my artist, somewhat haughtily. "Very well, then," said the Great Court Conjurer, " now what I want is this." He proceeded to explain at great length the kind of picture he required, and I can see now the long series of different expressions that flitted across my artist's face as the old showman spoke. At the beginning my friend just stuttered out " O h ! " at the end of each sentence, but towards the close he seemed to have recovered his presence of mind, and he began to argue with the conjurer. " But I would much rather paint you a picture of my own making," he said. " No," said the conjurer, " I don't want none of your landscapes (he put two adjectives before landscapes), or sea-scenes, or portraits, or anythink—except just the picture I told you of. Is it a deal ? " The artist said he would think it over for half an hour. I could not blame him; for
The Great Court Conjurer
15
certainly the picture that the Great Court Conjurer required was no ordinary picture. The scene was to be the largest state-room in Windsor Castle. The two principal figures in the picture were to be the Great Court Conjurer and his wife. The lady was to be sitting on the throne, her eyes were to be bandaged, and the Great Court Conjurer was to be holding up a pocket-handkerchief. The picture, according to the man's own directions, was to be called: " What 'ave we 'ere? The State Performance." The Queen and all the members of the royal family were to be sitting or standing near the two performers. The Great Court Conjurer stipulated that the likenesses should be good, that the men should have on military or naval uniforms, and that the ladies were to be wearing eveningdress and large quantities of diamonds. Orders and decorations were to be in great profusion, and the place was to be brilliantly lit by tall candles. On one side was to be a small table on which various flags, ribbons, and other articles used in the performance were to be prominently displayed. Some of the members of the royal family were to be applauding—apparently with great energy,—some were to be open-mouthed with astonishment, and some were to be laughing behind gold fans studded with rubies and sapphires. In the distance there was to be a
16
Woes of a Wizard
supper-table, sumptuously laid, with at least two dozen powdered footmen standing on either side. One footman, more gorgeous than the others, was to be standing near the conjurer's table. From the attitude of this special footman it was to be plain to every one that he had been told off to act as the conjurer's assistant. The Great Court Conjurer bargained for several other details, but they were comparatively unimportant. He was to have three large diamonds in his shirt, and a massive ring on the third finger of his right hand—the one that held the handkerchief. The conjurer's wife was to have an orangecoloured silk dress ; on her left arm were to be three heavy gold bracelets, and on her right arm there was to be a mass of lighter bracelets set with various precious stones. Her fingers were, of course, to be covered with rings. When the artist said that he would like to consider the offer for half an hour, he really meant that he wanted to find out how much money I would give him for the work. It was pleasant to see the wonderful and rapid change that had come over the artist. He had often talked to me of loving art for art's sake, an occupation that he had hitherto followed quite easily, for his pictures had certainly never brought him in a halfpenny. Now that he had practically received his first commission, he soon forgot that
The Great Court Conjurer
17
there was to be no art in the composition of his picture, and he haggled with me over the price in a most inartistic—but very business-like—fashion. I forget how much I offered him, but I know that he eventually agreed to accept it. I need scarcely add that we anticipated the " Times system of payments." I promised to wipe out the debt by monthly instalments. I shall never forget that picture. The Great Court Conjurer insisted on seeing it every evening and giving the artist suggestions for its improvement. I remember well the look of dismay that came into the conjurer's face when he first saw the picture of himself holding up the handkerchief. The handkerchief painted by the artist was quite white. The conjurer suggested that it was too white. Could it not be toned down a little, so as to be more in keeping with the dove colour on the walls ? When the artist refused to make the handkerchief grey, the conjurer suggested that a red pattern on the handkerchief would be better than a plain white one. So the Great Court Conjurer had the red pattern on his handkerchief, and he had a crimson silk handkerchief tucked into his waistcoat. When the picture was finished the conjurer said that he wished that it had been twice the size. " You should have said so before," replied the artist, gruffly. 2
18
Woes of a Wizard
"Well," said the conjurer, " if you'll make my hair a little bit longer, and make my moustache curl a little bit more upwards, I won't say anything more about it." At last then, the picture being finished, I was able to realise one of my ambitions. I was to find out how all the Great Court Conjurer's tricks were done. I went to him with a large note-book and said that if he would speak slowly I would write down all he had to say. " You needn't trouble to write nothin'," he said with a grin. " You'll find out how to do all those tricks I've taught yer and sold yer, and all those tricks I do myself, and lots more of 'em—you'll find 'em all out if you'll get a book called " Modern Magic" by Professor Hoffmann. They're all explained there. Get the book and read it." I have since had reason to be grateful for this advice. But at the time I was bitterly disappointed with the Great Court Conjurer.