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"Perhaps she has preserved herself in ice like Madame d'Espard and Madame Zayonchek," said the Comte de Brambourg, who had brought the three women to the play, to a pit-tier box. "Isn't she the 'rat' you meant to send me to hocus my uncle?" said he, addressing Tullia. "The very same," said the singer. "Du Bruel, go down to the stalls and see if it is she."
For myself, I love not such hocus pocus; but if it be a matter of Cuthbert's safety, I will e'en go and listen to her tale. If she wants to filch money from me for foul purposes, she will find she has come to the wrong man. I will pay for nothing till I have got my money's worth." It was already dark. Jacob had been partaking of one of Martin Holt's hospitable suppers.
McMurtrie began to dictate, the stenographer's pencil flying over the paper as he sought to overtake the rapid utterance of his chief. The article, as it appeared on the second page of the Sphere an hour later, ran as follows: HOCUS POCUS A hoax, or as our merry ancestors would have called it, a flam, is usually the most ephemeral and evanescent of human devices.
"Such a paste," says the correspondent to the Mirror, "would indeed be very visible." Another early formula is given in the 1763 edition of Hocus Pocus. From the fact that this formula was published during the time that Powell was appearing in England I gather that that circumstance may account for its addition to the book. It does not appear in the German or Dutch editions.
"Why this is what I call Hocus Pocus work!" said Mr Hobson; "but I shall make free to ask the chairmen who they are waiting for." Mrs Belfield, however, anticipated him; for running into the passage, she angrily called out, "What do you do here, Misters? do you only come to be out of the rain? I'll have no stand made of my entry, I can tell you!"
Those honest folk who had suffered from their incantations gradually recovered, excepting such as had been afflicted with twitches and aches, which, however, assumed the less alarming aspects of rheumatism, ciatics, and lumbagos; and the good people of New England, abandoning the study of the occult sciences, turned their attention to the more profitable hocus pocus of trade, and soon became expert in the legerdemain art of turning a penny.
"I never thought so little brandy could have had such an effect," Peter reflected half ruefully. "I suppose it's because she'd had nothing to eat. It's about the best thing that could have happened, but I never meant to hocus her like this." There she lay, a long white mound under the shawl. She had slipped her hand under her cheek and looked pathetically young and helpless.
This phrase stands in the score as the antithesis of the "Counter-Charm" mentioned in the analysis of the prelude. It illustrates an ingenious constructive device. Desiring to send Gretel on an errand a moment later, the Witch disenchants her with the formula, Hocus, pocus, elderbush, already described as the first theme of the Allegro in the prelude.
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