Procure two candles and from one cut one-third off, in which piece drill
a hole lengthwise and remove the wick. Put this piece in your pocket and
place the other candle in a candlestick. Give a small piece of paper to
a member of the company and request him to write a short sentence on it.
Tear the paper in two, and giving him half, retain the other half
yourself, which you fold up. Have a similar piece of paper, folded,
concealed in your right hand, and as you turn to get the candle (which
should be lighted), substitute one for the other. Burn the plain piece
of paper in the candle, and obtaining the piece of candle from your
pocket put your hands behind your back, and, having rolled up the half
message, work it into the hole in the piece of candle. In order to gain
the time to do this stoop over the lighted candle and make several
unsuccessful attempts to blow it out. When the paper is in the piece of
candle give one good hard blow and extinguish the light. With the piece
of candle concealed in your left hand, take the candle out of the
candlestick, lay it on the table, and with a knife cut off the burnt
end, which throw away and divide the remainder into three equal parts.
Then ask the person who wrote the message to select one piece. When he
does so pick up the selected piece with your right hand and pretend to
transfer it to your left, but retain it in the right and show the piece
concealed in your left, which you present to the person who wrote the
sentence and request him to pull out the piece of paper, which he will
find to be the corresponding half of the piece in his possession.