The Conjurer's Revenge
" Now, ladies and gentlemen," said the conjurer, "having shown you that the cloth is absolutely empty, I will proceed to take from it a bowl of goldfish. Presto!"
All around the hall people were saying, "Oh, how wonderful! How does he do it?"
But the Quick Man on the front seat said in a big whisper to the people near him, "He—had—it—up—his—sleeve."
Then the people nodded brightly at the Quick Man and said, "Oh, of course"; and everybody whispered round the hall, "He—had—it—up—his—sleeve."
"My next trick," said the conjurer, "is the famous Hindostanee rings. You will notice that the rings are apparently separate; at a blow they all join (clang, clang, clang)—Presto!"
There was a general buzz of stupefaction till the Quick Man was heard to whisper, "He—
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