278 LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



ject of it is to give time to the player to change 

 his position, as shown in the annexed figure, and 

 to replace the false back and partition preparatory 

 to the opening of the great cupboard. The chess- 

 player, as the figure shows, occupies with his body 

 the back compartment of the small cupboard, 

 while his legs and thighs are contained in the 

 space O, behind the drawer GG, his body being 

 concealed by the screen I, and his limbs by the 

 drawer GG. 



The great cupboard CC is now opened, and 

 there is so little machinery in it, that the eye 

 instantly discovers that no person is concealed in 

 it. To make this more certain, however, a door 

 is opened at the back, and a lighted candle held 

 to it, to allow the spectators to explore every 

 corner and recess. 



The front doors of the great and small cupboard 

 being left open, the chest is wheeled round to 

 show the trunk of the figure, and the bunch of 

 keys is allowed to remain in the door D, as the 

 apparent carelessness of such a proceeding will 

 help to remove any suspicion which may have 

 been excited by the locking of the door B. 



When the drapery of the figure has been 

 raised, and the doors E and F in the trunk and 

 thigh opened, the chest is wheeled round again 

 into its original position, and the doors E and F 

 closed. In the mean time the player withdraws 

 his legs from behind the drawer, as he cannot so 

 easily do this when the drawer GG is pushed in. 



In all these operations, the spectator flatters 

 himself that he has seen in succession every part 

 of the chest, while in reality some parts have been 

 wholly concealed from his view, and others but 



