Page:The wonders of optics (1869).djvu/283

 This glass is placed at an angle, and fills up the whole of the front of the stage, the edges being carefully concealed by curtains. The glass of course must be of a very large size, and should be of the very best quality, so that it cannot be seen by the audience. The actor must take care to place himself in such a position as to counteract the effect produced by the glass being placed at an angle. At first the cavalier is seen sitting at a table. After soliloquizing for a time in a very remorseful manner touching several murders that he has committed, the ghost of one of his victims gradually appears. This is effected by gently turning the electric light upon the concealed actor. The murderer and victim parley for a short time, when the former, being unable to withstand the reproaches of the ghost any longer, fires a pistol at him point-blank. The ball of course takes no effect, so the villain draws a sword, but before it has left its scabbard the spirit of the victim has vanished with a mocking laugh, or, in other words, the electric light is suddenly turned off. The management of the light is exceedingly difficult under these circumstances; the theatre, the stage, and the portion beneath ought to be lighted in a very careful manner, for if either is too bright or too dark it mars the whole effect. It must be remembered, too, that the person performing the part of the spectre and the real actor above cannot see each other, consequently all their action has to be carried on by guess-work. The actor below has to walk along an inclined plane, keeping himself exactly at right angles to it. Again, the movements of the latter are obliged to be reversed; for the cavalier already mentioned drew his sword with his left hand in order that the reflected figure should appear to use the right.

When well arranged, the ghost trick leaves far behind all the efforts of a similar nature that were obtained by the ancients in the way of magical illusions. It is also