ALCHEMY 109 



verandah and entered a room that opened on it, and 

 there when we were seated the alchemist proceeded to 

 give us a further proof of his powers. He asked us to 

 mention any article we desired, and he would produce 

 it, even though it had to be summoned from London. 

 As we did not wish to spoil the performance by asking 

 impossibilities, we left the selection to himself. He then 

 rose, bared his arms to the elbow, extended them, the 

 hands open, but touching at the wrists. He remained in 

 this attitude for a minute or more, his face upturned, 

 and all the while muttering what we presumed were 

 incantations. Then of a sudden he jerked back his 

 arms and closed his hands, much as a cricketer does 

 when catching a ball. As he closed his hands we heard 

 a clink like that of coins ; he turned to us, opened his 

 hands, and we saw displayed within them five gold 

 mohurs. 



As the gold mohurs had been so easily obtained, 

 I proposed that they should be expended in charity ; 

 but the alchemist was equal to the occasion. He in- 

 formed me that what I proposed was impossible : all 

 that was thus obtained from the spirits must be returned 

 to them, or calamity would ensue. 



The money was returned much in the same manner 

 that it had been obtained. The alchemist replaced 

 the gold mohurs in his hands. He had, I should 

 mention, handed them to us for inspection. Then he 

 joined his hands, stretched out his arms, looked up- 

 wards, and muttered as before. In a minute he opened 

 his hands, turned them towards us, and they were 

 empty. Of course the whole was a conjuring trick, but 



