He carefully removed one of the sides of the chest, thrust his hand in, and almost touched the roots of the tree before he found anything. All at once he uttered a cry of surprise, as he drew out a small iron coffer eaten by rust.
This curious "find," after having been cleaned from the mould, was brought in and placed on a small ottoman by the king's side.
"Well, Monsieur Robert-Houdin," Louis Philippe said to me, with a movement of impatient curiosity, "here is a box; am I to conclude it contains the handkerchiefs?"
"Yes, sire," I replied, with assurance, "and they have been there, too, for a long period."
"How can that be? the handkerchiefs were lent you scarce a quarter of an hour ago."
"I cannot deny it, sire; but what would my magic powers avail me if I could not perform incomprehensible tricks? Your majesty will doubtlessly be still more surprised, when I prove to your satisfaction that this coffer, as well as its contents, was deposited in the chest of the orange-tree sixty years ago."
"I should like to believe your statement," the king replied, with a smile; "but that is impossible, and I must, therefore, ask for proofs of your assertion."
"If your majesty will be kind enough to open this casket they will be supplied."
"Certainly; but I shall require a key for that."
"It only depends on yourself, sire, to have one. Deign to remove it from the neck of this turtle-dove, which has just brought it you."
Louis Philippe unfastened a ribbon that held a small rusty key, with which he hastened to unlock the coffer.
The first thing that caught the king's eye was a parchment, on which he read the following statement:
THIS DAY, THE 6TH JUNE, 1786, THIS IRON BOX, CONTAINING SIX HANDKERCHIEFS, WAS PLACED AMONG THE ROOTS OF AN ORANGE-TREE BY ME, BALSAMO, COUNT OF CAGLIOSTRO, TO SERVE IN PERFORMING AN ACT OF MAGIC, WHICH WILL BE EXECUTED ON THE SAME DAY SIXTY YEARS HENCE BEFORE LOUIS PHILIPPE OF ORLEANS AND HIS FAMILY.
"There is decidedly witchcraft about this," the king said, more and more amazed. "Nothing is wanting, for the seal and signature of the celebrated sorcerer are placed at the foot of this statement, which, Heaven pardon me, smells strongly of sulphur."
At this jest, the audience began to laugh.