Stick a halfpenny (or a shilling) under the edge of a table secretly
with a small piece of wax. Show another halfpenny to the company, and
when it is returned to you, place it in front of you on the table while
you turn up your sleeves. Then place the fingers of your left hand under
the table, and with your right hand sweep the halfpenny on the table
into your left, at the same time getting hold of the halfpenny under the
table, taking care that one coin does not strike the other. Then place
your right hand over your left, and pretend to rub the halfpenny the
audience have examined very vigorously, and, showing both coins, say you
have rubbed one halfpenny into two. You can improve on this trick by
using four halfpence on the table and one stuck under the edge. Sweep
two coins into your left hand, get possession of the stuck halfpenny,
and close your hand. Hold it up, and say: "There are two halfpennies on
the table, and I have two in this hand." Picking up the two halfpennies
with your right hand, tell the company that you intend to pass one of
them into the other hand. Then lay both hands flat on the table, lift
your left hand, and show three halfpennies under it. Slide your right
hand off the table, leaving one halfpenny behind, and carrying the
second coin away with your fingers. As your hand leaves the table, press
the halfpenny with your thumb against your two middle fingers, and nip
it with your first and little fingers. Remove your thumb, and you will
find you can hold it securely "palmed." Then with the right hand sweep
the three halfpennies back into the left hand, at the same time letting
the "palmed" coin fall with them. Close your fingers over them quickly,
and picking up the remaining halfpenny from the table with your right
hand, say: "I intend to make this halfpenny join its companions. One,
two, three--go!"
Pushing it with your thumb against your two middle fingers, palm it as
before, and throw the four coins which you hold in your left hand on the
table. While the attention of the company is on them, drop the "palmed"
coin in your pocket.