Белая птичка
The Pleasantest Club in London
TothislastchargeIpleadguilty,forinthosedaysIhadapatheticfaithinlegerdemain,andtheeyebrowfeat(which,however,isentirelyanaffairofskill)havingyieldedsuchgoodresults,Inaturallycastaboutforsimilardiversionswhenitceasedtoattract.ItlostitsholdonDavidsuddenly,asIwastodiscoverwasthefateofallofthem;twentytimeswouldhecallformylatest,andexultinit,andthetwenty-firsttime(andeverafterward)hewouldstareblankly,asifwonderingwhatthemanmeant.Hewaslikethechildqueenwho,whenthegreatjokewasexplainedtoher,saidcoldly,“Wearenotamused,”and,Iassureyou,itisahumiliatingthingtoperformbeforeaninfantwhointimates,aftergivingyouampletimetomakeyourpoints,thatheisnotamused.IhopedthatwhenDavidwasabletotalk—andnotmerelytostareatmeforfiveminutesandthensay“hat”—hisspokenverdict,howeverdamning,wouldbelessexpressivethanhisverdictwithoutwords,butIwasdisillusioned.Irememberonceinthoselateryears,whenhecouldkeepupsuchspiritedconversationswithhimselfthathehadlittleneedforanyofus,promisinghimtodosomethingexceedinglyfunnywithaboxandtwomarbles,andafterhehadwatchedforalongtimehesaidgravely,“Tellmewhenitbeginstobefunny.”
Iconfesstohavingreceivedafewsimplelessonsinconjuring,inadimlylightedchamberbeneathashop,fromagiftedyoungmanwithalongneckandapimplyface,whoasIenteredtookabarber’spolefrommypocket,sayingatthesametime,“Come,come,sir,thiswillneverdo.
