Twomonthswereincessantlyemployedinerectingthescaffoldingofourtricks，andwhenwewerequiteconfidentofbeingabletocontendagainstthedifficultiesofsuchanundertaking，weannouncedthefirstrepresentationofsecondsight。Onthe12thofFebruary，1846，Iprintedinthecenterofmybillthefollowingsingularannouncement：
“InthisperformanceM。Robert-Houdin’sson，whoisgiftedwithamarveloussecondsight，afterhiseyeshavebeencoveredwithathickbandage，willdesignateeveryobjectpresentedtohimbytheaudience。“
Icannotsaywhetherthisannouncementattractedanyspectators，formyroomwasconstantlycrowded，stillImayaffirm，whatmayseemveryextraordinary，thattheexperimentofsecondsight，whichafterwardsbecamesofashionable，producednoeffectonthefirstperformance。Iaminclinedtobelievethatthespectatorsfanciedthemselvesthedupesofaccomplices，butIwasmuchannoyedbytheresult，asIhadbuiltonthesurpriseIshouldproduce；still，havingnoreasontodoubtitsultimatesuccess，Iwastemptedtomakeasecondtrial，whichturnedoutwell。
ThenexteveningInoticedinmyroomseveralpersonswhohadbeenpresentonthepreviousnight，andIfelttheyhadcomeasecondtimetoassurethemselvesoftherealityoftheexperiment。Itseemstheywereconvinced，formysuccesswascomplete，andamplycompensatedformyformerdisappointment。
Iespeciallyrememberamarkofsingularapprovalwithwhichoneofmypitaudiencefavoredme。Mysonhadnamedtohimseveralobjectsheofferedinsuccession；butnotfeelingsatisfied，myincredulousfriend，rising，asiftogivemoreimportancetothedifficultyhewasabouttopresent，handedmeaninstrumentpeculiartoclothmerchants，andemployedtocountthenumberofthreads。Acquiescinginhiswish，Isaidtomyboy，“WhatdoI