This trick, though it merely rests upon a combination of methods already
familiar to the expert, may as a whole fairly claim to be a complete
novelty. The _mise en scène_ is so simple, and the room for deception
apparently so small, that to the uninitiated it seems like a genuine
miracle. Unlike most card tricks, it is even better adapted to the stage
than to the drawing-room.
The effect of the trick, baldly stated, is that the performer divines
the nature of nine cards, selected apparently quite haphazard, and then
picks out the corresponding cards from another pack, freely shuffled and
covered by a handkerchief.
The requirements for the trick consist of two packs of cards, and an
envelope with adhesive flap, of such a size as to accommodate one of
them. One of the two packs is a “forcing” pack, consisting of three cards
only, each seventeen times repeated. The cards of each kind are however
not grouped all together, as is usually the case, but are arranged
after the manner explained in _More Magic_ (p. 13), viz.: assuming the
three cards to be the knave of clubs, the seven of spades, and the nine
of diamonds, the pack will consist of groups of those three cards, in
the same order, repeated throughout. The effect of this arrangement is
that, wherever the pack be cut, the three cards above or below the cut
will always be a set of those three cards: and the same result follows,
however many times the pack may be cut, or however many such groups may
have been taken from it.
The second pack has no preparation, but the three cards corresponding to
those of which the forcing pack is composed are so placed as to be ready
to hand for palming.
The performer advances with the forcing pack, meanwhile executing a
false shuffle of the kind which leaves the pack as if cut, but otherwise
undisturbed as to order. Holding the pack on the outstretched palm of
his left hand, he invites someone to cut it. This done, he takes back
with the other hand the upper portion of the cut, and says, “You have
cut where you pleased, have you not? If you think I made cut at that
particular point, you can cut again. You are satisfied? Then I will ask
you to be good enough to take three cards from the top of this lower
heap. Keep them carefully. Don’t let me see them: in fact don’t show
them just yet to anyone, but please remember exactly what they are.” He
replaces the top half of the cut, and passing to another spectator, at
some little distance from the first, has the pack cut again, and a second
three cards taken in like manner. This is repeated with a third person,
just far enough away from the second as to preclude any possibility of
the three drawers comparing their cards.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, you must all agree that I have not sought
to influence the choice of these gentlemen” (or ladies, as the case may
be) “in the slightest degree, and it must be equally clear to you that
I cannot possibly know even one of the cards that have been chosen. To
make sure that I do not get sight of them in any way, we will have them
placed, with the remainder of the pack, in this envelope.” He collects
the cards accordingly, allowing each person who drew to replace his cards
himself in the envelope, and requesting the last person to moisten the
flap, and make all secure.
Returning to his table, he places the closed envelope in full view. “I
shall now want the assistance of some gentleman. Thank you, sir. Will
you kindly shuffle this other pack for me.” (He runs the cards over
fanwise, showing their faces, so as to prove that they are an ordinary
mixed pack: then hands them to be shuffled, and while this is being
done, palms the three secreted cards.) “Shuffle them thoroughly, please,
and then spread them a little, faces down, upon the table, and lay your
handkerchief over them.
“Now I am going, in the first place, to attempt a little thought-reading.
I shall endeavour by that means to discover the three cards each person
chose, and then, by means of the sense of touch, which I have cultivated
to a rather unusual degree, to pick them out, without seeing them, from
among the cards under the handkerchief. I shall only ask one indulgence.
To leave a little margin for possible mistakes. I shall ask your
permission to pick out four cards instead of three for each person, so
as to give me one extra chance. Will the gentleman who drew first kindly
look my way, and say to himself slowly, the names of the cards he drew.
Thank you, Sir! I think I read them right.” He inserts his hand under
the handkerchief, and after a little pretended fumbling, brings out the
three palmed cards, with one indifferent card in front of them. He does
not show or look at them, but asks the second chooser to think hard of
his three cards, afterwards taking four more from under the handkerchief.
Having done the same in the case of the third drawer, he spreads the
twelve cards he has taken from under the handkerchief, and shows them
fanwise. Addressing the first drawer, he says, “Your three cards are
among these, I think, sir?” and the same question is then addressed to
the other two choosers, the answer being of course in the affirmative.
“Now, gentlemen, in order to prove that there is no deception, I will
take away three cards at a time, one from each set of three. Pray observe
that from beginning to end, I have not looked at the face of any card.”
He accordingly removes one of the forced, and two of the indifferent
cards, making however some pretence of selection and throws them aside.
“There are now only two cards belonging to each gentleman left. That is
so, is it not?”
The question is addressed to each of the three drawers in turn, and
answered accordingly, after which the same process is again twice
repeated.
“And now, gentlemen, we have three cards left, belonging to neither
of you, which is just as it should be. It is a peculiarity of this
experiment that if it comes out right it always brings good luck to those
taking part in it, so you may all fairly expect to live happily ever
afterwards, and I trust you will.”
If the performance is given before the family circle, or very
intimate friends (who sometimes consider themselves privileged to be
disagreeable), it is just possible that some ill-mannered person, in the
hope of embarrassing the conjurer, may ask at the close to be allowed to
examine the envelope containing the drawn cards. Such an examination, if
permitted, would of course largely give away the trick. If the performer
has any reason to fear such a contingency, he may guard against it by
“switching” the envelope, during his return to the table with it, for a
duplicate containing an ordinary mixed pack. In some part of this the
three cards corresponding to those drawn should be placed _together_,
as the obnoxious person, if himself one of the drawers, will naturally
expect so to find them.
At a public performance such a precaution would be supererogatory.