“In the programme and show bills it is emphasized that the lady and gentleman on the stage have their backs to the audience, while Svengali, down in the aisle, has his back to the stage, making collusion apparently impossible. This makes a profound impression on the public.

“A CONFEDERATE BEHIND A SCREEN.

“But not a word is said of that curious screen panel, bearing a dou­ble-head­ed eagle—the Austrian coat of arms—sur­mount­ing a large cabinet of costumes occupying so much space on the stage. The pro­gramme does not explain that this screen panel is trans­parent from behind and that an accomplice with a strong magnifying lens reads every move made by Svengali and repeats his signals to the pretty girl at the piano and the im­per­so­na­tor at the cabinet.

“THE SYSTEMS EXPLAINED.

“Here is an illustration of how the figure system can be worked. As explained above, the famous personages, popular songs and operas are on numbered lists. Svengali in the aisle, with his code of signals, has all these numbers committed to memory.

“When a spectator whispers ‘Dickens’ Svengali knows it is No. 4, and he signals accordingly.

“But how?

“By touching his head, chin, or breast, or that particular part of his body designated in the signal code of the Svengali Company. The diagram given herewith illustrates the system of com­mu­ni­ca­tion by numbers, nine figures and a cipher (0), by which all the wealth of the world may be measured, and any number of words may be communicated without a word of speech. One has but to map out a square on his face, breast or body, and number it with these nine figures, with an extra space for the cipher, to be ready for the Svengali business. That is, when he has memorized the names and the numbers representing them. {197}

“Say the human head is used for this purpose. Imagine the top of the head, right hand side, as No. 1, the right ear as No. 2, the jaw as No. 3, and the neck as the cipher; the forehead No. 4, the nose No. 5, the chin No. 6, the top of the head on the left side as No. 7, the left ear No. 8, and the left side of the jaw No. 9.

“Thus you have the code system by which operators can communicate volumes by using a codified list of numbered words or sentences.