_How to guess a Card that has been thought of by any body, by writing
before hand on a Paper or Card a Number, which will certainly be that
of the Card that has been thought of._
All the preparation of this trick consists in a mathematical
combination; here follows the method of operating in order to succeed.
Take a pack of piquet cards, present them to one of the company,
desiring him to shuffle them well, and to get them shuffled by whoever
he pleases: then make several persons cut them. After which you will
propose to one of the company to take the pack, and think of a card,
and remember it, as likewise of the number of its order in the pack, by
counting one, two, three, four, &c. till he comes inclusively to the
card thought of by him. Then offer to go in another room while he is
doing what you required, or to be blind-folded, assuring the company
that you will declare before-hand, if required, the number of the order
in which the card is that has been thought of.