She threw the handkerchief at his face, furious at whatever trickery or sleight of hand had enabled him to replace her pocket handkerchief with his own. She stood up and walked away in a huff, while the audience watched him screw the handkerchief up in his hand, hold out his fist, open it to reveal the mysterious absence of the handkerchief, and return to his final illusion on the stage.
Regretful looks caught his eyes, as people glanced at their watches and noticed that they would soon be due back in their offices. He concluded the act and shook hands with the council's master of ceremonies.
"Could you mind the shop while I pursue some lunch?" he asked "You'd be welcome to look around."
The council worker seized the opportunity.
"Why am I doing this for such an arrogant snob?" he thought. Beauty seemed so often to be wasted on girls who would never let a person benefit from it.
Miss Van Horner came to the end of the park and turned onto the footpath, stopping abruptly as Robert Sinclair stepped out from behind a tree, producing a silk white handkerchief.
"I thought I had best return this while I had the opportunity. You see I found it in my pocket. Dashed surprise really. Can't imagine how it managed to teleport itself into my pocket while mine was whisking itself into yours."
"You can keep your hands out of my pocket in future. How did you follow me? I left before you started your last item."
"My second last item was to distract both you and the crowd with the simple palming of a red and maroon handkerchief, while sprinkling luminescent powder on the grass in front of your feet with my free hand. It wasn't that difficult to follow you. It's a lot harder to befriend you."
"It's unlikely to become any easier."
Why on earth were they born like that?
"Why can't I believe that there isn't a sweet version of you sometimes? You've hardly improved yourself by stepping out of that big house today."
"Do you mean that you're the Saturday night's party illusionist? I have to put up with you then too."
"Recognition is the beginning of acceptance."
"And the end of approval. I'm leaving. Please don't bother me."
* * * *
As he was packing up his more portable street show props, he felt a policeman's hand rest on his right shoulder from behind.
"Excuse me, what were you doing bothering Miss Van Horner?"
"Well next time I return someone's property I shall do it by reporting to the police station and bothering you. I just couldn't bear the thought of her blowing her nose with a common disposable tissue."
"Just be quick about packing up and moving out; and if you give me the slightest cause, I'll be looking for an excuse to arrest you."
* * * *
As he sat on his own terrace recalling the incidents of Monday and Wednesday, he knew that all of his jokes had done nothing to solve his emotional frustration at the way Miss Van Horner had snubbed him.