Chapter 27 A Mystifying Performance

 The people of Holston turned out in large numbers. Among the first to appear was the old lady whom the professor had taken up on his way over.

 

"You're the boy that was so sassy to me this mormin'," she said, peering at Harry¹ through her spectacles.

 

"I didn't say a word to you," said Harry.

 

"I'm afraid you're tellin' fibs. I heerd you."

 

"It was the professor. He put the words in my mouth."

 

"Well, come to think on't the voice was different from yours. Then there wa'n't nobody in the trunk?"

 

"No, ma'am," said Harry, smiling.

 

"It's wonderful, I declare for't. This is my darter, Mrs. Nehemiah Babcock," continued the old lady. "Nancy, this is the ventriloquer's boy. I thought he was sassy to me this mornin'; but he says he didn't speak a word. How much is to pay?" said the old lady.

 

"I won't charge you anything," said Harry. "Professor Henderson told me, if you came to let you in free, and any of your family."

 

"Really, now, that's very perlite of the professor," said the old lady. "He's a gentleman if ever there was one. Do you hear, Nancy, we can go in without payin' a cent. That's all on, account of your marm's being acquainted with the professor. I'm glad I come."

 

The old lady and her party entered the hall, and being early, secured good seats. Tom, her grandson, was glad to be so near, as he was ambitious to assist the professor in case volunteers were called for.

 

"Will any young gentleman come forward and assist me in the next trick?" asked the professor, after a while.

 

Tom started from his seat. His grandmother tried to seize him by the coat but he was too quick for her.

 

"Oh, let him go," said his mother. "He won't come to any harm."

 

"Is this your first appearance as a magician?" asked the professor.

 

"Yes, sir," answered Tom, with a grin.

 

"Very good. I will get you to help me, but you mustn't tell anybody how the tricks are done."

 

"No, sir, I won't."

 

"As I am going trust you with a little money, I want to ask you whether you are strictly² honest."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I am glad to hear it. Do you see this piece of gold?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"What is its value?"

 

"Ten dollars," answered Tom, inspecting it.

 

"Very good. I want you hold it for me. I give you warning that I mean to make it pass out of you hand."

 

"I don't think you can do it, sir."

 

"Well, perhaps not. You look like a pretty sharp customer. It won't be easy to fool you."

 

"You bet."

 

"Nancy," whispered the old lady to her daughter. "I hope you don't allow Tom to talk so."

 

"Look, mother, see want he's going to do."

 

"What I propose to do," said the professor, "is to make that coin pass into the box on the table. I may not be able to do it, as the young gentleman is on his guard. However, I will try. Presto³, change!"

 

"It didn't go," said Tom. "I've got it here."

 

"Have you? Suppose you open your hand."

 

Tom opened his hand.

 

"Well, what have you got? Is it the gold piece?"

 

"No sir," said Tom, astonished; "it's a cent."

 

"Then, sir, all I can say is, you have treated me badly. In order to prevent my getting the gold piece into the box, you changed it into a cent."

 

"No, I didn't," said Tom.

 

"Then perhaps I have succeeded, after all. The fact is, I took out the gold piece and put a penny in its place, so that you might not know the difference. Now here is the key of that box. Will you unlock it?"

 

Tom unlocked it, only to find another box inside. In fact, it was a perfect nest of boxes. In the very last of all was found the gold coin.

 

"It's very strange you didn't feel it go out of your hand," said the professor.

 

"I am afraid you are not quick enough to make a magician. Can you fire a pistol?"

 

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

 

"Will any lady lend me a ring?" asked the professor.

 

One was soon found

 

"I will load the pistol," said the professor, "and put the ring in with the rest of the charge. It appears to be rather too large. I shall have to hammer it down."

 

He brought down a hammer heavily upon the ring and soon bent⁴ it sufficiently⁵ to get it into the pistol.

 

"Now, sir," he said, "take the pistol, and stand off there. All right, sir. When I give the word, I want you to fire. One, two, three!"

 

Tom fired, his grandmother uttering a half suppressed shriek⁶ at the report. When the smoke cleared away, the professor was holding the ring between his thumb and finger, quite uninjured.

 

Professor Henderson's attention had been drawn⁷ to his companion of the morning. He observed that she had taken off her bonnet⁸. He went up to her, and said, politely, "Madam, will you kindly⁹ lend me your bonnet?"

 

"Massy sakes, what do you want of it?"

 

"I won't injure it, I assure you."

 

"You may take it, ef you want to," said the old lady; "but be keerful and don't bend it."

 

"I will be very careful; but, madam," he said, in seeming surprise, "what have you got in it?"

 

"Nothing, sir."

 

"You are mistaken. See there, and there, and there"; and he rapidly drew out three onions, four turnips¹⁰, and a couple of potatoes. "Really, you must have thought you were going to market."

 

"They ain't mine," gasped¹¹ the old lady.

 

"Then it's very strange how they got into your bonnet. And--let me see--here's an egg, too."

 

"I never see sich doin's."

 

"Granny, I guess a hen made her nest in your bonnet," whispered Tom.

 

The old lady shook her head in helpless amazement¹². 

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

3 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

4 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

5 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

6 shriek   

v./n.尖叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。
• People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 bonnet   

n.无边女帽；童帽

参考例句：

• The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光，使之不刺眼。
• She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽，帽上缀着褪了色的假花。

9 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

10 turnips   

芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表

参考例句：

• Well, I like turnips, tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflowers, onions and carrots. 噢，我喜欢大萝卜、西红柿、茄子、菜花、洋葱和胡萝卜。 来自魔法英语-口语突破（高中）
• This is turnip soup, made from real turnips. 这是大头菜汤，用真正的大头菜做的。

11 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。