Banghursttookhimintothelittleroomandroutedoutanemptydecanter。Hedepartedinsearchofasupply。Hewasgoneperhapsfiveminutes。
Thehistoryofthosefiveminutescannotbewritten。AtintervalsFilmer’sfacecouldbeseenbythepeopleontheeasternmostofthestandserectedforspectators，againstthewindowpanepeeringout，andthenitwouldrecedeandfade。Banghurstvanishedshoutingbehindthegrandstand，andpresentlythebutlerappearedgoingpavilionwardwithatray。
TheapartmentinwhichFilmercametohislastsolutionwasapleasantlittleroomverysimplyfurnishedwithgreenfurnitureandanoldbureau——forBanghurstwassimpleinallhisprivateways。ItwashungwithlittleengravingsafterMorlandandithadashelfofbooks。
Butasithappened，Banghursthadleftarookriflehesometimesplayedwithonthetopofthedesk，andonthecornerofthemantelshelfwasatinwiththreeorfourcartridgesremaininginit。AsFilmerwentupanddownthatroomwrestlingwithhisintolerabledilemmahewentfirsttowardstheneatlittlerifleathwarttheblotting-padandthentowardstheneatlittleredlabel“。22LONG。“
Thethingmusthavejumpedintohismindinamoment。
Nobodyseemstohaveconnectedthereportwithhim，thoughthegun，beingfiredinaconfinedspace，musthavesoundedloud，andtherewereseveralpeopleinthebilliard-room，separatedfromhimonlybyalath-and-plasterpartition。ButdirectlyBanghurst’sbutleropenedthedoorandsmeltthesoursmellofthesmoke，heknew，hesays，whathadhappened。FortheservantsatleastofBanghurst’shouseholdhadguessedsomethingofwhatwasgoingoninFilmer’smind。
AllthroughthattryingafternoonBanghurstbehavedasheheldamanshouldbehaveinthepresenceofhopelessdisaster，andhisguestsforthemostpartsucceededinnotinsistinguponthefact——thoughtoconcealtheirperceptionofitaltogetherwasimpossible——thatBanghursthadbeenprettyelaboratelyandcompletelyswindledbythedeceased。Thepublicintheenclosure，Hickstoldme，dispersed“likeapartythathasbeenduckingawelsher，“andtherewasn’tasoulinthetraintoLondon，itseems，whohadn’tknownallalongthatflyingwasaquiteimpossiblethingforman。“Buthemighthavetriedit，“
saidmany，“aftercarryingthethingsofar。“
Intheevening，whenhewascomparativelyalone，Banghurstbrokedownandwentonlikeamanofclay。Ihavebeentoldhewept，whichmusthavemadeanimposingscene，andhecertainlysaidFilmerhadruinedhislife，andofferedandsoldthewholeapparatustoMacAndrewforhalf-a-crown。“I’vebeenthinking——“saidMacAndrewattheconclusionofthebargain，andstopped。
ThenextmorningthenameofFilmerwas，forthefirsttime，lessconspicuousintheNewPaperthaninanyotherdailypaperintheworld。
Therestoftheworld’sinstructors，withvaryingemphasis，accordingtotheirdignityandthedegreeofcompetitionbetweenthemselvesandtheNewPaper，proclaimedthe“EntireFailureoftheNewFlyingMachine，“and“SuicideoftheImpostor。“ButinthedistrictofNorthSurreythereceptionofthenewswastemperedbyaperceptionofunusualaerialphenomena。
OvernightWilkinsonandMacAndrewhadfallenintoviolentargumentontheexactmotivesoftheirprincipal’srashact。
“Themanwascertainlyapoor，cowardlybody，butsofarashissciencewenthewasNOimpostor，“saidMacAndrew，“andI’mpreparedtogivethatpropositionaverypracticaldemonstration，Mr。Wilkinson，sosoonaswe’vegottheplacealittlemoretoourselves。ForI’venofaithinallthispublicityforexperimentaltrials。“
Andtothatend，whilealltheworldwasreadingofthecertainfailureofthenewflyingmachine，MacAndrewwassoaringandcurvettingwithgreatamplitudeanddignityovertheEpsomandWimbledondivisions；
andBanghurst，restoredoncemoretohopeandenergy，andregardlessofpublicsecurityandtheBoardofTrade，waspursuinghisgyrationsandtryingtoattracthisattention，onamotorcarandinhispyjamas——
hehadcaughtsightoftheascentwhenpullinguptheblindofhisbedroomwindow——equipped，amongotherthings，withafilmcamerathatwassubsequentlydiscoveredtobejammed。AndFilmerwaslyingonthebilliardtableinthegreenpavilionwithasheetabouthisbody。
IhadseentheMagicShopfromafarseveraltimes；Ihadpasseditonceortwice，ashopwindowofalluringlittleobjects，magicballs，magichens，wonderfulcones，ventriloquistdolls，thematerialofthebaskettrick，packsofcardsthatLOOKEDallright，andallthatsortofthing，butneverhadIthoughtofgoinginuntiloneday，almostwithoutwarning，Giphauledmebymyfingerrightuptothewindow，andsoconductedhimselfthattherewasnothingforitbuttotakehimin。Ihadnotthoughttheplacewasthere，totellthetruth——amodest-sizedfrontageinRegentStreet，betweenthepictureshopandtheplacewherethechicksrunaboutjustoutofpatentincubators，butthereitwassureenough。IhadfancieditwasdownnearertheCircus，orroundthecornerinOxfordStreet，oreveninHolborn；alwaysoverthewayandalittleinaccessibleithadbeen，withsomethingofthemirageinitsposition；buthereitwasnowquiteindisputably，andthefatendofGip’spointingfingermadeanoiseupontheglass。
“IfIwasrich，“saidGip，dabbingafingerattheDisappearingEgg，“I’dbuymyselfthat。Andthat“——whichwasTheCryingBaby，VeryHuman——andthat，“whichwasamystery，andcalled，soaneatcardasserted，“BuyOneandAstonishYourFriends。“
“Anything，“saidGip，“willdisappearunderoneofthosecones。
Ihavereadaboutitinabook。
“Andthere，dadda，istheVanishingHalfpenny——，onlythey’veputitthiswayupso’swecan’tseehowit’sdone。“
Gip，dearboy，inheritshismother’sbreeding，andhedidnotproposetoentertheshoporworryinanyway；only，youknow，quiteunconsciouslyheluggedmyfingerdoorward，andhemadehisinterestclear。
“That，“hesaid，andpointedtotheMagicBottle。
“Ifyouhadthat？“Isaid；atwhichpromisinginquiryhelookedupwithasuddenradiance。
“IcouldshowittoJessie，“hesaid，thoughtfulaseverofothers。
“It’slessthanahundreddaystoyourbirthday，Gibbles，“Isaid，andlaidmyhandonthedoor-handle。
Gipmadenoanswer，buthisgriptightenedonmyfinger，andsowecameintotheshop。
Itwasnocommonshopthis；itwasamagicshop，andalltheprancingprecedenceGipwouldhavetakeninthematterofmeretoyswaswanting。
Helefttheburthenoftheconversationtome。
Itwasalittle，narrowshop，notverywelllit，andthedoor-bellpingedagainwithaplaintivenoteaswecloseditbehindus。
Foramomentorsowewerealoneandcouldglanceaboutus。
Therewasatigerinpapier-macheontheglasscasethatcoveredthelowcounter——agrave，kind-eyedtigerthatwaggledhisheadinamethodicalmanner；therewereseveralcrystalspheres，achinahandholdingmagiccards，astockofmagicfish-bowlsinvarioussizes，andanimmodestmagichatthatshamelesslydisplayeditssprings。
Onthefloorweremagicmirrors；onetodrawyououtlongandthin，onetoswellyourheadandvanishyourlegs，andonetomakeyoushortandfatlikeadraught；andwhilewewerelaughingatthesetheshopman，asIsuppose，camein。
Atanyrate，therehewasbehindthecounter——acurious，sallow，darkman，withoneearlargerthantheotherandachinlikethetoe-capofaboot。
“Whatcanwehavethepleasure？“hesaid，spreadinghislong，magicfingersontheglasscase；andsowithastartwewereawareofhim。
“Iwant，“Isaid，“tobuymylittleboyafewsimpletricks。“
“Legerdemain？“heasked。“Mechanical？Domestic？“
“Anythingamusing？“saidI。
“Um！“saidtheshopman，andscratchedhisheadforamomentasifthinking。Then，quitedistinctly，hedrewfromhisheadaglassball。
“Somethinginthisway？“hesaid，andhelditout。
Theactionwasunexpected。Ihadseenthetrickdoneatentertainmentsendlesstimesbefore——it’spartofthecommonstockofconjurers——
butIhadnotexpectedithere。
“That’sgood，“Isaid，withalaugh。
“Isn’tit？“saidtheshopman。
Gipstretchedouthisdisengagedhandtotakethisobjectandfoundmerelyablankpalm。
“It’sinyourpocket，“saidtheshopman，andthereitwas！
“Howmuchwillthatbe？“Iasked。
“Wemakenochargeforglassballs，“saidtheshopmanpolitely。
“Wegetthem，“——hepickedoneoutofhiselbowashespoke——“free。“
Heproducedanotherfromthebackofhisneck，andlaiditbesideitspredecessoronthecounter。Gipregardedhisglassballsagely，thendirectedalookofinquiryatthetwoonthecounter，andfinallybroughthisround-eyedscrutinytotheshopman，whosmiled。
“Youmayhavethosetoo，“saidtheshopman，“and，ifyouDON’Tmind，onefrommymouth。SO！“
Gipcounselledmemutelyforamoment，andtheninaprofoundsilenceputawaythefourballs，resumedmyreassuringfinger，andnervedhimselfforthenextevent。
“Wegetalloursmallertricksinthatway，“theshopmanremarked。
Ilaughedinthemannerofonewhosubscribestoajest。“Insteadofgoingtothewholesaleshop，“Isaid。“Ofcourse，it’scheaper。“
“Inaway，“theshopmansaid。“Thoughwepayintheend。Butnotsoheavily——aspeoplesuppose……Ourlargertricks，andourdailyprovisionsandalltheotherthingswewant，wegetoutofthathat……
Andyouknow，sir，ifyou’llexcusemysayingit，thereISN’T
awholesaleshop，notforGenuineMagicgoods，sir。Idon’tknowifyounoticedourinscription——theGenuineMagicshop。“Hedrewabusiness-cardfromhischeekandhandedittome。“Genuine，“
