His left thumb holds the handkerchief just behind the knot, while he is pulling the right hand end against the person. He facetiously begs the pull to be hard, as the handkerchief is a borrowed one.
In the same way he seems to tie knots, really tying the right hand end round the silk, but this is not remarked, because he makes a great to do of drawing the knots hard, and—since the right hand decreases in length by thus enwrapping the rest—works up the slack to shorten the left end proportionably to the other.
The company is allowed to test the security of the knots.
On regaining the handkerchief, Mr. Hanky Panky covers the knots with the loose flap in the centre, and has one end held again.
The knot can be felt through the silk, but still, on seizing the loose end and the assistant letting go, Mr. Panky shakes the handkerchief out as one snaps a whip, and proceeds to find a rabbit or bottle of wine in the folds.
THE HANDKERCHIEF AND EGG TRICK.
This is a modification of the above.
An egg is passed round for free examination. A handkerchief is held up in the performer’s hands by any two of its corners, and flourished to and fro to prove its innocency. It is then spread out on the table, the egg laid in its centre, and the handkerchief taken by its four ends, so that the audience cannot doubt that the “hen-fruit” is really in the middle.
Fig. 33.