THE BEWITCHED PICTURE FRAME.
(Le Cadre à l’Assiette.)
Did you ever see such a lovely bit of Sèvres as this plate? Observe the delicacy of the tints and the dainty outlines of the floral decoration.
If I were in the musing mood, I might form quite a lecture on the scenes which this piece of porcelain conjures up: the rise of Dubarry; her downfall—Oh! the plate has slipped through my fingers, and I take it up to find it broken.
Let me see: what is smashed china fit for? I forget—but I wonder, now, if it would not make excellent wadding for a pistol! Let us try. Here is the firearm, which I will load—on the powder I put the fragments of the plate—Time severs many a beauty from her mate—Plenty of room yet. I must add these rings, with which my obliging auditors have furnished me, and this ribbon. A very formidable charge!
Boy! a target!
Call that a target?
Why, it is a black board in a frame. Never mind; it will do, unless I make a butt of you! [Exit the Attendant.]
Click! bang!
When the smoke clears away, there is seen in the middle of the framed black space the ribbon, rings, watches, or whatever was used for cartridges, and the plate restored except for one small fragment. It seems that I left a piece out of the barrel. Oh! Is it not here under this obliging young lady’s fan? I thought so; thank you.
I will throw it into its place.
Fig. 17.
One, two, three, and an off! I mean on!
You will observe that Richard is himself again—as rich and hard as ever.
Fig. 18.
Explanation.—For the appearance of the entire objects, the enchanted target described on page 194, The Secret Out, is used, with the following additional contrivance for the china plate restoration, namely:—The duplicate plate is covered, as are the other articles, with a black blind, made to disappear into the frame by an electric shock, or the action of a piston-rod, while a scrap of black cloth to be pulled away by a wire leading secretly to your assistant, gives it the semblance of a broken one.