The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-30 00:00:00

I added, sinking my voice to a whisper, "lend it to me for
another trick which I intend to perform presently ?"
" Willingly!" the obliging spectator replied.
I then carried the watch on the stage, and, handing it
secretly to my servant, I bade him go at full speed to a
watchmaker's, and have a new glass put in.
Half an hour later, I returned the watch to its owner,
saying—
" I have just noticed to my regret that the lateness of the
hour will preclude me from performing the trick I promised
you ; but as I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again
at my performances, please to remind me the first time you
come, and I shall then be able to perform the interesting
trick."
I was saved.

A great part of his second volume is occupied with
narrating the events of his tour in Algeria, where
he performed with a double motive, political as well
as artistic. The marabouts of the Arabs having
great influence over the tribes on account of their
supposed magical powers, generally exerted it
against the French interest. It was therefore
thought desirable that a French marabout should
prove to them that these sages and necromancers
could be surpassed. The success of M. Houdin's
endeavours was unquestionable, and one of the
Kabyles remarked to a French Marshal, " Instead
of killing your soldiers in conquering the Kabyles,
send your French marabout to the most rebellious,
and before a fortnight he will bring them all to
you." The opposition he met with from his Arab
rivals was extremely bitter, and some of the results
of the astonishment of the tribes at M. Houdin's
marvellous illusions were very amusing. The
following passage describes a comical scene :
At the request of several interpreters, a young Moor,
about twenty years of age, tall, well built, and richly dressed,
consented to come on the stage. Bolder and more civilised,
doubtless, than his comrades of the plains, he walked firmly
up to me.
I drew him towards the table that was in the centre of
the stage, and pointed out to him and to the other specta-
tors that it was slightly built and perfectly isolated. After
which, without further pretace, I told him to mount upon
it. and covered him with an enormous cloth cone, open at

the top.
Then, drawing the cone and its contents on to a plank,
the ends of which were held by my servant and myself, we
walked to the foot-lights with our heavy burden, and upset
it. The Moor had disappeared---the cone was perfectly
empty 1
Immediately there began a spectacle which I shall never
forget.
The Arabs were so affected by this last trick, that, im-
pelled by an irresistible feeling of terror, they rose in all
parts of the house, and yielded to the influence of a general
panic. To tell the truth, the crowd of fugitives was densest
at the door of the dress-circle, and it could be seen, from the
agility and confusion of these high dignitaries, that they
were the first to wish to leave the house.
Vainly did one of them, the Caid of the Beni-Salah, more
courageous than his colleagues, try to restrain them by his
words :
" StaY 1 stay 1 we cannot thus lose one of eur co-reli-
gionists. Surely we must know what has become of him,
or what has been done to him. Stay 1 stay 1"
But the co-religionists only ran away the faster, and
soon the courageous caid, led away by their example, fol-
lowed them.
They little knew what awaited them at the door of the
theatre ; but they had scarce gone down the steps when
they found themselves face to face with the " resuscitated
Moor."
The first movement of terror overcome, they surrounded
the man, felt and cross-questioned him ;, but, annoyed by
these repeated questions, he had no better resource than to
escape at full speed.
The next evening the second performance took place, and
produced nearly the same effect as the previous one.
The account of the management of the second-sight
illusion, which created so much interest, is very
curious. M. Houdin exhibited his automata at
the Paris Exhibition of 1844. On one occasion,
when Louis Philippe and his family were visitors,
they were much interested in the performances of
his figures. After putting them to various tests,
the Comte de Paris desired one of the automatons
to draw a crown, but the artist's pencil broke and
the crown could not be finished. We wonder the
ingenious writer did not discover an omen in this
little incident. The work is full of entertainment,
and admirably adapted to beguile a leisure hour.
Those who desire to lift the curtain from the necro-
mancer's stage should seize this opportunity to
share the secrets of one who is a proficient in the
black art of Michael Scott.

Trust for Trust. By A. J. Barrowcliffe, author o
"Amberhill." 3 vols. Smith and Elder.
This work is equal to its predecessor in vigour,
and the story is a better one. There is a great
deal of skill in the description of the characters
and the various emotions and passions that roused
and excited them are most vividly exemplified. It
may be suggested by the captious that part of the
tale refers to the old story of jealousy, but that
circumstance is well accounted for in the fact of
the title of the book. Thep urpose of the writer is
to display the danger, and reveal the misery of
want of confidence. The evils wrought are most
strikingly manifested and eloquently descante d
upon in the pages that are before us, and the
author has achieved as great a success in this en-
deavour as in the story of " Amberhill ;" where he so
ably expressed the danger of want of resolution on
vital questions, and the sad effects that result from the.
unrestrained worship of gold. It is satisfactory to
p.ruse so brilliant a work. It is true that all the
portions are not equally sustained ; there is at
times rather too much of the local disputes of the
borough, but these are occasionally rendered
noticeable by the zeal exhibited by the partizans,
and the acerbity and evil passions that reigned
paramount in many of the worthy denizens of
Porchester. Mary, the village maid, is a charming
character, and her introduction of itself would
render the book readable. There is something so
real about her ; she affects no fine lady airs ; she
offends not by unrefined manners or vulgar tastes,
but she is herself in the worth of her true heart
and pure nature the same in the home of her
husband, surrounded by luxury, as when we
met her tending her flocks on the mountains,
and leading a free and happy existence.
Mary had no easy life, though many might have
envied her her exaltation. Her husband, though
of a fine natural disposition, possessed many faults,
that grievously impaired the serenity of their lives,
and clouded the sunshine of the domestic horizon.
He was the more unjust in giving way to suspicion
of Mary's conduct, when he himself had hidden a
secret of the greatest importance from her, and
when his actions were so impetuous, and his temper
so hasty, that she might well have hesitated to
appeal to him in any trifling matter. There were
many dark enemies to surround the Forrests, and
unhappily for them, they were both very unguarded
in their actions. With such a wily adversary as
Williams, and with so passionate a rival as Mrs.
Fraser,it would have been strange had some direful
catastrophe not resulted. John Griffiths is a fine
old man. With all the simplicity and straightfor-
wardness of the peasant, he was a well-informed
man, and his actions were as upright as his mind.
The way in which he acted in the last trying scene
of his daughter's trial afforded a striking lesson to
the worldly-wise, and a powerful exhortation to the
hasty and passionate. He was always self-controlled,
while his heart was breaking with anguish for his
child's sorrow, who had wandered from the green
pastures of her happy mountain home to the cruel
world that had seemed so bright in dreams, and
was so sad when reached. He could see there were
grounds for Anthony's fears, and while he disbe-
lieved the statements, he owned that others might
with reason regard them as veracious. 'thi
moderation was rewarded, after a fierce s
that
and he closed his eyes in the happy assurranceug
arv's
all was well at last. In the time of d
angmeeek spirit
trgle,
gentle nature became stropg, and her
despair. Animated by the
surmount the difficulties that
roused itself for the contest
nwnistehinuthsneesstsrnenf gLhnonf.
cence, she was able to surmaond
too o perils
had seemed insuperable,
moments she would have
from which in calmer
of the town in which he
ured y en.,, and
shrunk. Anthony rettrhedbfraodmhetbhme
awannhnianrelndsaipndideuvfoour ts e xa
ent rendered a change
psulacine.unhHips
He acknowledged his error in not
imperative. ahi
ne af
ul tlh
excitement an t ienn
having confided more in Mary at an early period,
which was the direful spring
.of so many sorrows ;
and her ignorance and inexperience having received
an effectual warning, the pilgrim pair are left to
pursue their pathway towards eternity, under far
brighter auspices than their own folly, and the
malice of their foes seemed at one period to render
possible.

The common Sense of Life Assurance. By a Man
of the Times. James Hogg.
This little treatise sets forth in a clear, and
forcible style the advantages of life assurance. The
many arguments in favour of this system, which
secures to the professional man of limited income a
provision for his family, are strongly stated. The
objections of its opponents are freely considered
and fairly discussed, but certainly none of them
shake the writer's reasons in its favour. Those
who are convinced, by his earnest and pleasantly
written appeal, will find all necessary information
for effecting a policy contained in these pages.
Also the writer gives some details of the endow-
ment system, which maysuggest new ideas to some
of his readers. Granting that the w.sivlhtiocrht,aklieksethalel
most favourable view of a system
others, has its occasional drawbacks,
still his argu-
mviennctes'andthe
everypamphlet to the attention
unprejudiced plain scns e r oe
af tehr e.
better than commend this p c
Isree musti et
do
-
ediresfiarnoluislieosf
out of a precarious
osefeaulrlianngxain r ne
ss
headsp e. e ala
andl°ffpaiiiiii-uoeviatimusiaoPtninufoirna tre heo rem
e

Viscount and Viscountess Stratford de Redcliffe
have arrived at their mansion, Grosvenor-square, from the
Continent.
Viscount and Viscountess Campden have arrived
at Chtridge's Rota for the season.
ivjiss Coutts has arrived at her mansion in
Strattowstreot, for the seasogl