“I had now to send the handkerchiefs on their travels, so I placed them beneath a bell of opaque glass, and, taking my wand, I ordered my invisible travellers to proceed to the spot the King had chosen.
“I raised the bell; the little parcel was no longer there, and a white turtle-dove had taken its place.
“The King then walked quickly to the door, whence he looked in the direction of the orange-tree, to assure himself that the guards were at their post; when this was done, he began to smile and shrug his shoulders.
“‘Ah! M. Robert-Houdin,’ he said, somewhat ironically, ‘I much fear for the virtue of your magic staff.’ Then he added, as he returned to the end of the room, where several servants were standing, ‘Tell William to open immediately the last chest at the end of the avenue, and bring me carefully what he finds there—if he does find anything.’
“William soon proceeded to the orange-tree, and, though much astonished at the orders given him, he began to carry them out.
“He carefully removed one of the sides of the chest, thrust his hand in, and almost touched the roots of the tree before he found anything. All at once he uttered a cry of surprise as he drew out a small iron coffer eaten by the rust.
“This curious find, after having been cleaned from the mould, was brought in and placed on a small ottoman by the King’s side.
“‘Well, M. Robert-Houdin,’ Louis Philippe said to me, with a movement of impatient curiosity, ‘here is a box; am I to conclude it contains the handkerchiefs?’
“‘Yes, Sire,’ I replied with assurance, ‘and they have been there, too, for a long period.’
“‘How can that be? The handkerchiefs were lent you scarce a quarter of an hour ago.’