Mr. Panky takes up a soft silk handkerchief, and holding the ends in his
hands throws the right hand end over the left, and pulls it through as
if tying a knot. Again throwing the same end over the left, he passes
the latter to one of the company to pull it.
[Illustration: Fig. 32.]
His left thumb holds the handkerchief just behind the knot, while he is
pulling the right hand end against the person. He facetiously begs the
pull to be hard, as the handkerchief is a borrowed one.
In the same way he seems to tie knots, really tying the right hand end
round the silk, but this is not remarked, because he makes a great to do
of drawing the knots hard, and—since the right hand decreases in length
by thus enwrapping the rest—works up the slack to shorten the left end
proportionably to the other.
The company is allowed to test the security of the knots.
On regaining the handkerchief, Mr. Hanky Panky covers the knots with the
loose flap in the centre, and has one end held again.
The knot can be felt through the silk, but still, on seizing the loose
end and the assistant letting go, Mr. Panky shakes the handkerchief out
as one snaps a whip, and proceeds to find a rabbit or bottle of wine in
the folds.