professor hoffmann - drawing room conjuring

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  • Drawing Room Conjuring-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DRAWING-ROOMCONJURING

    TRANSLATED AND EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY

    PROFESSOR HOFFMANNAUTHOR OF "MODERN MAGIC," CONJURER DICK,"

    ETC., ETC.

    WITH 79 ILLUSTRATIONS

    LONDONGEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, LIMITED

    BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL MANCHESTER AND NEW YORK

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    TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

    The following pages are a translation of a recent French work entitled "Recueil de Tours dePhysique Amusante," published by Delarue of Paris. They do not profess to form a completetreatise on the art of conjuring, but merely to describe, with the appropriate "boniment" or"patter," a selection of illusions which, by reason of the small amount and portable nature of theapparatus required for them, and their comparative independence of "stage" appliances, areespecially suitable for drawing-room performance.

    It is assumed that the reader possesses a certain amount of elementary knowledge, which isindicated, rather than actually conveyed, in the preliminary chapter. Where such knowledge iswanting, the student desirous of complete instruction will find it in the writer's work on "ModernMagic,"1 of which a sixth Edition has recently been issued, and to which references, whereappropriate, have been given. So far, however, as space has permitted I have endeavoured, byexplanatory footnotes, to render the text fully intelligible, without the necessity of recourse toany extraneous source of information.

    LOUIS HOFFMANN.January, 1887.

    1 George Routledge & Sons.

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    CONTENTS

    PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONSTHE FLYING COINTHE MONEY-PRODUCING CARDTHE MAGIC COINDEMATERIALISED MONEYTHE TWO HALF-CROWNSSOLUBLE MONEYTRANSPOSITION EXTRAORDINARY THE SHOWER OF MONEYA FINANCIAL OPERATIONTHE FLYING HALF-CROWNSMESMERIC SYMPATHYTHE AMBITIOUS CARDTHE TWO CARD-BOXESTHE PEREGRINATIONS OF A CARD AND A COINTHE RISING CARDS (IMPROVED)UNCONSCIOUS DIVINATION THE ELASTIC CARDS .AN IMPROMPTU TRANSFORMATION THE MYSTERIOUS LETTERA SUPERNATURAL MEMORY THE PENETRABLE HAT THE MYSTERIOUS SHOT THOUGHT CONTROLLED OR ANTICIPATED

    THE TEETOTUMWITH CARDS WITH DOMINOES WITH FLOWERS THE MYSTERIOUS ADDITION

    THE BURNT HANDKERCHIEFTHE SECRET SENTENCEFLORICULTURE EXTRAORDINARY THE FLYING BOTTLE AND GLASS THE BEWITCHED RINGA HUMAN HENTHE METAMORPHOSES OF A GLOVETHE JAPANESE BUTTERFLIESAN ILLUSTRATION OF FREE TRADE PRINCIPLESTHE THREE RINGS THE FAKIR'S WAND THE SPIRIT PADLOCK EXPERIMENTS OF A PSEUDO-SPIRITUALISTIC CHARACTER THE INTELLIGENT COINTHE DANCING DOLLS

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    THE ABODE OF THE SPIRITSTHE KNOTTED POCKET-HANDKERCHIEFS THE HAT AND THE CHOSEN CARDTHE CARD FRAME AND THE HALF-CROWNTHE SPIRIT PADLOCKTHE TWO HATSTHE CORD FEATSPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHYA FEAT OF DIVINATIONCONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

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    DRAWING-ROOM CONJURING,

    PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

    I SHALL pass very briefly over the elementary processes which form the A B C of sleight ofhand.

    In card tricks, the most important of the artifices employed is the "pass." There are severaldifferent ways of making the pass some with both hands, some with one only. The methodwhich is the least likely to be detected, and consequently the most generally used, is the two-handed pass, which is executed as follows:

    Take the pack in the left hand, and divide it, with the little finger, into two equal portions (seeFig. 1.) Cover the pack with the right hand, and nip the undermost portion endwise between thethumb and the remaining fingers of that hand (Fig. 2); then, by the aid of the little finger and ofthe second and third fingers of the left hand, draw the upper portion under the lower.

    There are several other methods of making the pass, but there is not much difference betweenthem. That known as the "Voisin" pass, however, after the name of its inventor,2 is unlike any ofthe others, and as it may occasionally be found useful, and is comparatively unknown, I will heredescribe it.

    Take the pack in the left hand, allowing its upper part to project beyond the hand for about halfits length (Fig. 3). With the middle finger of the same hand open the pack like a book, the closedportion resting on the fork of the thumb.

    2 A well-known manufacturer of magical apparatus. The "pass" in question is in truth merely theadaptation, to a single card, of the "false shuffle" known as the queue d'aronde, or dovetail.---TRANS.

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    With the right hand, take the card to be introduced, and place it in the space formed by theopening of the pack, but holding it slant-wise (Fig. 4), then close the pack. With the forefinger ofthe right hand, press down the card as if merely to bring it square with the rest, but guiding it insuch manner as to make it project below the pack by about half its length.3

    Next, with the right hand, grip the remainder of the pack between the thumb and middle finger,and take it out of the left hand, though without removing it to any considerable distance. Thismanoeuvre will enable you to draw out with the left hand the introduced card. Replace the packin the left hand, slightly raising the card, which remains therein, in order to place it on the top.

    It is very important also to be able to "change" a card, i.e., to exchange a card, held by itself inthe right hand, for another which lies on the top of the pack held in the left hand, simultaneouslygetting rid of the "changed " card by placing it either upon or underneath the pack, ascircumstances may require (Fig. 5).

    The conjurer must also be well skilled in the art of "palming" a card4 (Fig. 6), not to mention"false shuffles," "replacing a palmed card," the "card drawn back," &c.5

    It is also absolutely necessary for the performer to be thoroughly versed in coin-palming, whichis performed as follows: Taking the coin with the tips of the fingers of the right hand, and(ostensibly) transferring it to the left hand, you secretly press it, under cover of that movement,into the palm of the right hand, between the ball of the thumb and the fleshy portion of thehand below the little finger.

    3 This is effected by keeping the card still diagonal to the rest of the pack, and pushing it down by the tipof the right forefinger on the left-hand top corner (which projects at the left side of the pack), until suchcorner has reached a position halfway down, when the card may be straightened with the rest. Its lowerhalf will now project below the rest, of the pack. TRANS.

    4 i.e., secretly retaining a card in the open or half-closed hand.-TRANS.5 "replacing a palmed card" explains itself, "False shuffles" retain the whole or a portion of the pack in apre-arranged order, though appaently the cards are thoroughly mixed. The "card drawn back" (i.e.showing the second card from the bottom in place of the bottom card) is a device now quite out of dateamong conjurers of any pretension to skill.TRANS.

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    There are several methods of "vanishing" a piece of money viz. "palming" as first described;the coulee, which is performed by sliding the coin with the thumb (in the act of apparentlytransferring it to the left hand) along the middle and ring fingers nearly to their tips, the coinbeing kept in position by the pressure of the first finger and little finger against its edges;6 the"Italian" palm, wherein the coin is held in the fork between the thumb and first finger; the tour-niquet or "French drop," wherein, holding a coin horizontally between the fingers and thumb ofthe left hand, you apparently take it with the right, but really let it drop into the palm of the lefthand; the pincette7 &c.; and lastly the "change" of one coin for another by means of palming orof the coulee.

    A proper "table" is desirable for a drawing-room performance; but if you are not provided withor cannot procure a table fitted with a servante,8 or with a drawer which may do duty as such,any ordinary table may be made available. All that is needful is to secure a tolerably high one,or, if need be, to increase its height by placing something underneath it, and to cover it with awoollen cloth, of which the side remote from the spectators is pinned up at each corner, so asto form a sort o f bag to receive articles which you may require secretly to get rid of.

    A very important point is the manner in which your tricks are presented to your auditors. In aword, your "patter" should be perfect. No special instructions can be given for this, but what yousay should have at least some show of reality, and above all must be lively. The smarter and thesimpler the better. Of course there are cases in which you will be compelled to spin out theperformance of a trick a little in order to allow your assistant (a totally different thing from a"confederate," by the way) to carry out some necessary arrangement. In such a case the operatormust display his utmost tact and intelligence, giving to his patter a neat and appropriate turn, inharmony, so far as possible, with the particular circumstances under which he is performing.

    6 The coulee is rarely used by English conjurers. It is chiefly useful with coins of large diameter, like thesilver five-franc piece. With a hand of ordinary size, any English coin (save the crown piece, which isnow a rarity) is too small to hold securely in this manner.TRANS.

    7 The pincette is much the same as the tourniquet, save that the coin is held upright, instead ofhorizontally, between the fingers and thumb of the left hand.-TRANS.

    8 A hidden shelf behind the magician's table, by means of which to to procure or get rid of objects usedin his performance.-TRANS.

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    THE FLYING COIN.To pass a piece of money from the one hand to the other.

    This is a mere piece of sleight-of hand, which will however be found, in certain cases, veryuseful.

    Palm in the hollow of your right hand a coin of like value with that which you propose to borrow.Take this latter, when obtained, between the tips of the fingers of the left hand, advance the righthand to take it, and as you do so, let fall into the left hand the coin which is concealed in the right(Fig. 7). Quickly close the left hand, anddraw away the right, keeping the coin in full sight; then close your right hand on the coin, andstate that you propose to pass it into the other hand. Open the right hand, keeping the borrowedcoin palmed in the hollow of the hand;9 then show in the left hand the coin which you let fall intoit in the act of taking away the original.

    This little piece of hanky-panky may be repeated ad libitum; and may, when occasion requires,be used to effect the exchange of one coin for another. Suppose, for instance, that you haveborrowed a piece of money. You may state that, once in your hands, it has already acquiredcertain peculiar properties as, for example, that of being able to pass from the one hand to theother. If you then execute, once only, the trick just described, the substitute coin will be in the lefthand, while the borrowed one will remain hidden in the right. You can then pass it off to yourassistant, or dispose of it as may be necessary for the purpose of your trick.

    Or again, after having taken the borrowed coin in the right hand, and let fall the substitute intothe left, you may hold this latter palmed in the hollow of the left hand, take a glass in the samehand and hold it with the hand covering the glass, palm downwards. When the right hand opensas though to throw the coin which is held therein, the left hand relaxes its grip, and allows thesubstitute coin to fall into the glass.

    9 These instructions are rather feeble. No skilled performer would ever dream of closing the right hand onthe coin. He would simply make a slight "throwing" movement of the right hand to accompany the word"Pass," and under cover of such movement the coin would be palmed, the hand still remaining open.-TRANS.

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    THE MONEY-PRODUCING CARD. To produce a half-crown from a card by simply pressing it

    with the fingers.

    BEFORE coming forward to perform this trick, provide yourself with a half-crown,10 and keep itconcealed in the palm of the right hand. You commence as follows:

    "If it has ever happened to you, gentlemen, to be in a company where card-playing is going on,and to find that you have forgotten your purse, you have probably felt rather uncomfortable. Tohave to admit one's forgetfulness is unpleasant, and to refuse to take part in the game wouldappear discourteous. What is to be done in such a case?

    "Never mind, don't trouble yourselves to answer the question. You would be certain only to findmere makeshift ways out of the difficulty; while the one I shall show you is unimpeachable. Theplan that I am going to teach you will get you out of your scrape without the smallest loss ofdignity."

    "See under some excuse or other, which you will readily find, you take a pack of cards" (hereyou take up a pack accordingly with the left hand), "and you pick out the ace of clubs" (whiletalking, you seek out and exhibit the card in questionwe have said the ace of clubs, but ofcourse any other card would answer the purpose equally well). "Here it is. You are probablyaware that this card, in the science of cartomancy, or divination by cards, is considered toindicate money, and never was a reputation better justified, for as a matter of fact, this cardcontains a considerable quantity of the precious metal."

    As you say these last words, you give a fillip or two with the fingers of the right hand on the card,back and front; then hold it up with the left hand so that all may see it, keeping your own eyesconstantly fixed upon it. At the same moment you lower the right hand a little, and let the coinslip down to the face of the second and third fingers, keeping it supported by gentle pressurebetween the sides of the first and fourth fingers, as in the sleight called the coulee (see page 5).Then lower the left hand and transfer the card to the right, so as to cover the coin which isconcealed therein.

    "You see that I have nothing either in my left hand" (here you turn it in all directions) "or in myright." The right hand being for the moment occupied, you take from it with the left hand the coinand the card which covers it. In taking the card, you must take care to clip the coin between thesecond finger and the thumb, pressing the card front and back, the card being meanwhile heldrather low, the better to conceal the coin.

    Once more take the coin in the right hand. To do this, bring that hand near to the left hand, whichholds the card, and then, with the middle finger of the right hand, the back of which is turnedtoward the spectators, slide the piece from under the card and again palm it. This enables youonce more to give two or three fillips upon the card.

    10 In the original a five-franc piece is spoken of, that being the favourite sleight-of-hand coin among Frenchconjurers. The half-crown would practically be the nearest English equivalent.-TRANS.

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    You repeat the same feint as before to get the coin again under the card, but this time you leave itthere. Then, holding the card with the left hand, still keeping it low down, you bring the right upto it, and with the thumb of this hand on the face of the card, and the middle finger behind,holding the coin, you gently slide off this latter to the lower edge of the card, from whence it isapparently extracted (Fig. 8). You accompany this movement by remarking:

    "By pressing the card gently between your fingers, like this, you will be able without difficulty tosqueeze out the coin which it contains."

    If, as suggested in the trick next following, "The Magic Coin," you make use of the double coinfor the illusions just described, you must take care to keep it palmed shell outwards, so that thetwo portions may not come apart in the course of the various passes. When you at last producethe coin from the card, you must turn it over, so that the presence of the "shell" may not benoticed by the spectators.

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    THE MAGIC COIN.Out of one half crown to make two, and vice versa.

    For the performance of this trick, you must have a half-crown fitting easily within another hollowor "shell " coin, which serves as a kind of cover for it, and which of course has one "face" only.

    If you have used such a coin for the preceding trick, you may continue in manner following:

    "This half-crown comes to the rescue in a very acceptable way, but I should recommend you notto risk it at cards until you have made the very most of it. In point of fact, a coin obtained underthese circumstances has the faculty of doubling itself, as you see." Here you separate the doublecoin and show as two. (Fig. 9.)

    "Now let us suppose that, by good luck, you have been a winner, and, like a prudent man, youwish to put back the coin into the card, so as to be able to find it again another time. This is whatyou must do. In the first place, you must put back the second coin into the first, which is a verysimple matter" (you replace the solid coin in the hollow one), "and in the next place pass the coinback again into the card, which is rather more difficult."

    As you say this, you take the double coin in the right hand, and palm therein the two coins asone, but taking care to have the "cover" or "shell" coin next the palm, and in bringing that handtowards the left hand, drop the solid coin alone (visibly) into the latter. You then pick up, withthe right hand, the ace of clubs which lies on the table, this movement enabling you to get rid ofthe hollow coin on the servante.

    The left hand closes as the solid coin is dropped into it. You make a feint of passing the coin intothe card, but suddenly pausing, as if some one had made an observation to you

    "You wish to examine the coin before its departure? Certainly, sir, with pleasure, and all themore so because, to tell you the truth, all this pretty little story that I have been telling you is afiction, from beginning to end. Neither you nor I can possibly find money in a card, unless wehappen to possess a coin like this, which is a masterpiece of mechanical ingenuity. Here it is."(You hand it for inspection.) "Examine it closely, and admire the skill of the maker; it is thickenough to split into two portions, and yet thin enough to be hidden in a card."

    When the coin is returned to you, you palm it in the right hand, making believe to place it in theleft, whence it apparently vanishes to pass into the card, which you take in the right hand, in sodoing getting rid of the coin which was palmed therein.

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    You may make a little more of the trick, which is otherwise but of short duration, by exhibitingthe illusion next following.

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    DEMATERIALISED MONEY.By pressing a pack of cards between the fingers, to produce from it several half-crowns at each

    pressure, and afterwards to pass the coins so produced into two glass bottles, which must bebroken before the coins can be taken out again.

    THE trick of the money-producing card may be carried a stage further, in manner following:

    After having made believe to pass the half-crown back again into the ace of clubs, you replacethat card, not on the pack from which it was taken, but on a mechanical pack (to be hereafterdescribed), which is placed in readiness on the table.

    "I have so far," you remark, "only dealt with one card, and have consequently produced from itonly one coin, but by using a whole pack of cards I shall of course be able to produce severalcoins."

    So saying, you pick up from the table the pack on which you have just laid the ace of clubs. Thispack is in reality a tin box, of the form and dimensions of a pack of cards. On the front and backare glued two cards, the edges being painted to correspond, while, to complete the illusion, fiveor six genuine cards are laid upon it. This box contains a sort of flat tube, in which are placedfour half-crowns, kept in position by springs, but capable of being released two at a time. Toproduce the two first coins, you press on the lower spring, and to produce the remaining two,upon both springs at once.

    "See," you continue, taking up the pack just described, "a gentle squeeze brings out two coins,and another little squeeze gives us two more."

    To produce the coins, you take the pack in the right hand, and hold it in a perpendicular position,with the opening of the tube downwards, and the finger resting on the springs. At the propermoment, the left hand is brought to the lower part of the pack, and appears to squeeze it, whilethe right hand works the springs (Fig. 10).

    Place the four coins you have thus obtained on the table, and, under cover of your "patter," pickup with the left hand four other half-crowns which you have placed in readiness beforehand onthe servante. If possible, again exchange the mechanical pack for a genuine one.

    This exchange can be made easily enough, even under the very eyes of the public, if you havetaken the precaution to place three or four packs of cards on your table. In the course of your

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    patter you lay the mechanical pack at the proper moment close to the others, and immediatelyafterwards take up in its place one of the other packs which lie beside it. Even if the exchangewere noticed, it would be but of little consequence, because, in the first place, nobody knows thatthe pack just laid down is mechanical, and secondly, you proceed to produce a farther supply ofcoins from the pack you have picked up.11 You continue the trick as follows:

    If a second pressure, so gentle as this, has produced two more coins, another squeeze, a littleharder, should produce still more substantial results."

    You then bring forward the left hand, which contains the four coins just picked up from theservante, and make believe to squeeze the pack, which is held by the right hand in the sameposition as in the first stage of the trick. You then chink the four coins together and exhibit themto the spectators.

    Replace the pack on the table, and picking up the whole eight coins, say

    You must not be surprised to see so much money come from this pack. These coins possess thefaculty of passing anywhere and everywhere, as I will prove to you by the aid of these twobottles. You will observe that they are of clear glass, and that the neck of each is too narrow, toallow even a single coin to pass through it." (Here you place a coin on the mouth of each bottle.)"I will close this first bottle with this cork, and then, taking a portion of the coins "

    (Here you take four coins with the tips of the fingers of the left hand. The right hand advances asif to take them, but you in reality let them fall into the hollow of the left hand, while the right,followed by the eyes of the operator, is moved away as though containing the four coins, whichare meanwhile quietly placed on the servante, or slipped into a private pocket.)

    " and squeezing them pretty hard for a moment in my hand, just to warm them; I pass theminto the bottle, without even removing the cork" (Fig. 11).

    You suit the action to the word. As the hand opens, it

    11 Here we venture to disagree from our author. The undisguised use of three or four different packs in the

    course of the same performance would be extremely inartistic, as raising a natural suspicion ofarrangement or preparation. Where it is necessary to change one pack for another, the exchange shouldbe effected secretly, either by means of the servante or on the performer's own person in moving to orfrom his table.-TRANS.

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    presses on a little projecting point on the top of the cork, imperceptible to the public, and therebycauses four "folding" coins12 stored within the cork to fall into the bottle, resuming their properform in their fall. You then remove the cork and invert the bottle in order to show that the coinscannot pass through the neck.

    To get the coins out again I shall have to break the bottle. That is the reason I use one made ofsuch common glass. Here I have a second bottle, the neck of which is narrower still (Fig. 12). Ishall place in the neck this brass tube which you see here, and which, you will observe, issurmounted by a little flat case of the same metal. I shall place the coins in this case, when theywill pass down the tube into the bottle. In performing this second experiment, I will introduce thecoins one by one, so that you may the better see them fall; for when I pass all four at once, peoplefrequently complain that they have not time to see them clearly."

    You place the four coins one by one in the little receiver, which is divided into fourcompartments, each just large enough to contain one coin. The first coin should be introduced onthat side on which a screw is seen. The coins, pressing on the lower part of the receiver, work aspring which lets fall one coin into the bottle each time it operates. The coins which fall arefolding coins, which have been placed ready in the tube before performing the trick. In order toinsert them you must, in the first place, jerk the tube smartly upwards. This sets the spring. Thisdone, you turn the tube upside down and introduce the four coins through the hole in the cork oneby one, folding them for that purpose, and taking care to insert them all the same way i.e.,with their hinges all towards the same side of the tube.

    The folding pieces, after being introduced into the bottle, can easily be got out again by drawingthem one by one through the neck, at the same time pressing the coin with the finger so as topartially fold it.

    This must, of course, be done after the performance is over; but if you desire to enhance theeffect of the trick, you may break the bottles in presence of the spectators, who are thereby ledthe more fully to believe that the coins are not dummies, and that there is no other way of getting

    12 "Folding" coins are ordinary coins cut into two or more portions, such portions being so arranged as tofold one on another, again expanding and lying flat as soon as they are released.-TRANS.

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    them out again. In this case, as soon as you have broken the bottles, you must "exchange" thefolding coins for genuine ones.

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    THE TWO HALF-CROWNS.A pack of cards being laid across the mouth of a drinking-glass, to make two half-crowns in

    succession pass through the pack and fall into the glass.

    IT may sometimes be necessary slightly to modify the preceding trick (that of the dematerialisedmoney) by reason of the performer happening to possess one only of the two "bottles" we havementioned. The trick may very well be worked with one bottle only; but in this case, when youmake believe to squeeze the cards for the third time, you produce two coins only instead of four,thereby reducing the number you work with to six only. Taking four of these, you pass them intosuch one of the two "bottles" as you may chance to possess, and make use of the other two coinsto perform the trick next described:

    These coins have passed through the neck of this bottle, though its diameter, as you perceive, isconsiderably less than their own. The secret of this is that these coins have the faculty of reducingthemselves to quite infinitesimal proportions. To give you some idea how far they can bereduced, I will pass them into this glass, which I will cover over with" (you look about as ifseeking for some appropriate object) "with this pack of cards. The coins will pass through thecards just like water through a filter."

    So saying, you take up a pack of cards prepared beforehand, and consisting of a dozen ordinarycards, followed by a sort of shallow box made of brass, and of the same size as the cards. Thefour sides of this box are painted to match the edges of the cards. The box is composed of a brassframe of about a quarter of an inch thick, divided into two equal portions by a bar of the samemetal. The bottom of each of the two divisions is a plate of thin steel, fixed on one side only, andso forming a spring. Two brass studs, at a suitable distance apart, are riveted on each of theseplates, and are made to support a half-crown in each division (Fig. 13). When a light pressure isapplied to the steel plates they bend, and the studs, being thereby drawn farther apart, no longerretain their hold on the coin, which consequently falls. The flexibility of the springs is such thateven a dozen cards placed above them do not prevent their working.

    When you desire to perform the trick, you place a half-crown in each division, between the twostuds, and then mask the box and its contents by means of a few loose cards which accompanythe sham pack, and which are placed above and below.

    You make believe to shuffle, and in so doing manage to get all the loose cards to the top; then laythe pack flat on the top of the glass. The coins being arranged as above, will naturally fall into theglass as soon as the springs are pressed.

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    "I take the first coin," you remark. This coin should be lying upon the table; you take it with theright hand, but the four fingers, concealing it, gently draw it towards the hinder edge of the table.Once arrived at this point the thumb makes a movement as if to secure it, but the hand, stilldrawing it towards the edge, lets it fall on the servante. You then hold up the right hand, closedas though it contained the coin. You next place the forefinger of the left hand on the pack, justabove one of the springs; the finger so placed seems merely to indicate at what particular pointthe coin will pass through. Open the right hand with a movement of throwing the coin; pressslightly with the forefinger of the left hand, and coin No. 1 falls into the glass (Fig. 14 ).Then, taking the second coin in the right hand, you make believe to transfer it to the left, but inreality palm it in the right, which, in the act of picking up the wand, drops it quietly on theservante.

    "My wand," you proceed, "shall serve as the conductor for the second coin." The wand, heldvertically in the right hand, should at this moment rest on spring No. 2, while the closed left handis held just above it, as though it contained the coin.

    You then make a rubbing movement with the fingers of this hand, as though reducing the coin tothe smallest possible dimensions; and when at last the hand opens, the right hand, pressing withthe wand, causes the spring to bend outwards, and thereby liberates the second coin (Fig. 15).

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    SOLUBLE MONEY.To melt in a glass of water a half-crown borrowed from one of the company, and thence to make

    it pass into a box held by another person.

    PROCURE a piece of clear glass in shape and thickness as nearly as possible resembling a halfcrown. Next select a glass (of the kind with a foot) whose internal diameter at bottom shall not beperceptibly greater than that of the coin; and, lastly, provide yourself with a little box known asthe coin casket,13 wherein a half-crown may be made to appear and disappear at pleasure.

    "Water, as you are aware, ladies and gentlemen, is Nature's universal solvent. Of thisunquestioned and unquestionable truth I am about to give you a fresh illustration.

    "I have in this carafe some water, distilled by my own hands, that I may be absolutely certain ofits purity. Here, on the other hand, I have a glass of crystal clearness; you hear its ringing sound.Being perfectly transparent, you can see for yourselves that it contains no false bottom; at anyrate, you can readily ascertain the fact. Perhaps, sir, you will have the kindness to do so? You arequite satisfied that the glass has no false bottom? You are. Then I will ask you to be good enoughto hold the glass for a few moments. In the first place, I will fill it with water from my carafe, andin the next, I shall ask some charitable person to be good enough to lend me half-a-crown, and asI make it a point of honour to return the identical coin lent to me, and not merely another like it, Iwill ask you, sir, to mark it with this little stiletto before you hand it to me. Meanwhile, let meask you all to examine this silk pocket-handkerchief." (In taking the handkerchief from the tableyou pick up the glass disc and hold it, palmed, in the right hand.)

    "In the middle of this silk handkerchief, I will place the marked coin."

    You suit the action to the word, but instead of placing the marked coin under the handkerchief,place there instead the glass disc, and let the coin take its place in the palm. This change is madewhile the hand is masked by the folds of the handkerchief.

    "Now I shall ask this gentleman, who already holds the glass of water, to take with hisdisengaged hand the coin also, through the handkerchief."

    The advantage of this arrangement is, that having both hands occupied, he will have notemptation, or at any rate will not be able, to peep underneath the handkerchief (Fig. 16). Take13 Ecrit a la piece. We are not aware whether the little box in question has any more precise name amongEnglish conjurers.-TRANS.

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    care to have the coin held edgewise and not flat between the fingers, that the holder may not, byfeeling the smoothness of its surface, discover that it is glass.

    Next go and fetch your wand from your table. This enables you to pass off the borrowed coin toyour assistant, who places it in the little "casket," presses the stud which causes the coin todisappear from view, and then brings forward the casket, thus made ready for use. Have thehandkerchief held just above the glass of water, in such manner that when the coin is let go itmust naturally fall into the glass. With your wand, drape the folds of the handkerchief, whichmight otherwise get wetted, so arranging them that the glass is entirely hidden by such folds.

    "Now, Sir, when I count three, you will please let fall the coin into the water. But first, I willhand to this young lady," (you take care to choose a juvenile for this purpose14) "this little box toreceive the coin, which cannot continue in a state of solution in the water except in darkness, andconsequently as soon as the handkerchief is removed, will fly out of the glass, and pass into thelittle box." (You make the child hold the box between the finger and thumb in such manner as tokeep the lid closed, at the same time strictly charging her not to open the box.)

    "Now to begin: One, two, THREE." (All hear the sound of the coin as it falls into the glass.)"Now take off the handkerchief, please. The coin which was in the first place dissolved has nowpassed into a volatile condition, so that there is now no part of it left in the glass."

    The spectator, who has duly followed your instructions, looks into the glass and is greatlysurprised to see nothing there, for the piece of glass is invisible.

    Get back the glass as quickly as you can, and show it, from a reasonable distance, to thecompany.

    "Now, Miss, I will ask you to be kind enough to give me back my little box."

    You take it from her, press the stud which liberates the coin, and raise the lid. The coin appearsin the box, and you carry it in this condition, without touching it, to the person who lent it to you,with a request that he will make quite certain that it is really the identical coin which he marked(Fig. 17).

    If you work without the aid of an assistant, a very small amount of dexterity will enable you toplace the half-crown in the casket yourself without attracting attention. If you are afraid of thechild peeping into the casket (though she would see nothing in it, if she did), you may yourself14 A superfluous precaution. The casket, if properly made, will bear any casual inspection.-TRANS.

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    hold it in your own hand, show that it is empty, and at the moment when the glass disc falls intothe glass, press the stud which causes the coin to spring up in the box.

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    TRANSPOSITION EXTRAORDINARY. To make an apple take the place of a piece of money, and vice versa.

    This is a modification of the trick of the "cone;" but it has an advantage over that trick, inasmuchas it appears to the spectators to exclude any possible idea of previous preparation.

    On an inverted wine-glass you place a borrowed coin, and cover it with a conical paper bag,which you twist into shape under the very eyes of your audience, but into which, as soon asmade, you secretly introduce a small apple,15 the under side of which is hollowed out sufficientlyto allow it to completely conceal the coin. The apple thus prepared has of course been placedbeforehand on the servante of your table.

    On the other hand, you take openly an unprepared apple, similar in appearance to that which isunder your paper cover, and inform your audience that you are about to pass it under the papercover in place of the coin.

    Take the apple with your two hands, but in so doing draw it over the hinder edge of your table,and let it fall on the servante, which must be properly padded to receive it. Before you do this,however, you must secretly palm in the hollow of the one hand or the other a coin similar to thatlent to you. Make believe to pass the apple down through the point of the paper bag and to takeout the coin, which you exhibit at the tips of your fingers.

    Pick up the paper bag, holding it by its apex. The apple will remain on the glass, and by reason ofthe cavity you have made in its under side will completely conceal the coin (Fig. 18).

    Once more cover the apple with the paper cone, take the (substitute) coin in the right hand, and inapparently transferring it to the left, palm it (the left hand closing as if it actually received it) andcommand it to pass under the paper cone. The apple you order to pass downwards through thetable. To effect this, you stretch your arm under the table, and as the hand passes the servante,seize the apple (which was left there at the first stage of the trick), and at the same time get rid ofthe coin in your hand.

    Showing the apple to the company, pick up the paper cone, taking it by its lower portion so as toretain the apple, which is consequently lifted with it, and keeping the apex of the cone turned15 An orange would be preferable.-TRANS.

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    towards the spectators, so as to mask the presence of the apple. The coin remains upon the glass.Hold it up that all may see it, and while the general attention is thereby attracted, let the apple fallgently from the paper cover on the servante; then show that the cover is empty.

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    THE SHOWER OF MONEY.

    THERE are several methods of performing the trick of the Shower of Money.

    The common element, or starting point, is as follows: -You ask for the loan of a hat. When it isgiven to you, you take it with the right hand, and as, in turning, your body masks the left hand,you take from your pochette16 on that side a certain number (say seven) of half-crowns (orflorins) which you have placed there in readiness, in such a way as to be easily got hold of. Youthen take the hat in the same hand, in such manner as to lay the coins flat against the leather bandinside (Fig. 19).

    Some conjurers come forward to perform this trick with a coin ready palmed in the right hand,and this same coin is used throughout. To make it visible, you bring it to the tips of the fingers.17Each time that you thus make believe to find a coin, you also make believe to drop it into the hat,but in reality palm it and let fall one of those which are in the left hand, held against the inside ofthe hat.

    Other performers begin with two coins palmed, and as soon as they have caught the first, throw itunmistakably into the hat, continuing the trick with the second coin. This plan of having twocoins is a very good one, because the spectators, having seen the first piece really fall into the hat,are all the more disposed to believe that the others are thrown in in like manner.

    Another plan is to use a coin in the edge of which a small hole has been bored, and which isfastened by a hair round one of the fingers of the performer. This arrangement allows of the coinbeing palmed when necessary, with the additional advantage of being able to show the inside ofthe open hand, without the presence of the coin being even suspected; for the coin beingattached, say, to the middle finger, with a quick jerk you can throw it over the back of the hand,and may then fearlessly show the palm, provided only that you keep the hand upright. When youwish to produce the coin, you have merely to reverse the movement, the effect to the spectators,who see the coin fly over the hand, being that it is actually caught in the air. On the whole,however, I do not recommend the use of the suspended coin, which requires great skill to use itneatly, and produces little, if any, more effect than the ordinary method.

    In order to spare the performer the inconvenience of coming forward with a coin already palmed,a piece of apparatus (known as the "money-slide") has been devised, consisting of a flat tin tube

    16 A secret pocket behind the leg of the trouser. -TRANS.17 This is done by a quick "catching" movement, which jerks the coin out of the palm towards the finger-tips.-TRANS.

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    containing four half-crowns, which on pressure of a spring slip out one by one, as required. Thistube is concealed either beneath the lining of the waistcoat, or in the lapel of the coat. This littleapparatus enables you to come before your audience perfectly empty-handed, and further enablesyou to really throw several coins from the right hand into the hat, thereby making the illusioncomplete.18

    I have seen the trick worked by a very expert performer in manner following:

    You make use of the "money-slide" above described, concealing it between the cloth and liningof the right lapel of your dress coat.

    After having borrowed a hat and introduced a supply of coins (with the left hand) as alreadydescribed, you turn half round (so as to mask your right side) and get one of the half-crowns fromthe slide into your right hand. "Catch" this coin with the tips of your fingers, and drop itunmistakably into the hat; but under pretence of wishing to see what date it bears, take it outagain, and hold it in the palm of your hand, whence you allow it to fall into your sleeve. (This is avery easy method of vanishing a coin. All that is needed is to have the cuffs of your shirt-sleevestolerably large. The palm of the hand being turned towards the operator, with the tips of thefingers upwards, a slight inclination of the hand causes the coin to slide downwards into theshirt-sleeve, and so to disappear.)19 Then, having named any date you please, you move yourempty hand towards the hat as though to drop the coin therein, but in reality let fall one of thosein the left hand. As soon as you lower the arm, the coin drops once more into the hollow of thehand.

    You use this same coin two or three times, either palming it, or letting it fall into the sleeve, orelse, after dropping it visibly into the hat, you (with the right hand) stir about the coins already inthe hat, and secretly pick up one of them to continue the trick with. When this coin has served itsturn, you throw it for the last time into the hat, get another coin out of the slide, and proceed inlike manner till the supply is exhausted. When the coins which were in the left hand have allbeen dropped in, you take the hat in the right hand, and stir about the coins in the crown with theleft, as though to show that there is a tremendous amount of money collected therein. This littlemanoeuvre enables you to regain possession of three or four. You once more transfer the hat tothe left hand, and hold these coins against the lining, as before.

    You may also make believe to pass the coins into the hat through its sides or crown. Suppose, forinstance, that the coin has been let fall into the sleeve; you draw your closed right hand along the18 For a minute description of this piece of apparatus, see Modern Magic, p. 207. It has, however, beensuperseded by a later invention, a little brass box attached to the arm of the performer, within the sleeve.The box in question is of French origin, and even in its first shape was a vast improvement on the olderapparatus, but it lacked absolute certainty, a cardinal point in magical appliances. The idea has been stillfurther improved upon by a well-known English maker, Mr. J. Bland, who, retaining the form, has alteredthe operative principle of the apparatus. The gain in ease and certainty is very great, the coins (to thenumber of eight) being shot into the open palm with admirable neatness and precision. This elegant littlepiece of apparatus should form part of the stock-in-trade of every amateur conjurer:-TRANS.

    19 Performers who use this sleight (which is at best a clumsy expedient) generally pass an elastic bandover the shirt-sleeve, so that the coin stops short a few inches below the wrist, and is readily availablewhen again wanted TRANS.

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    side of the hat, pretending to pass the coin into the hat by rubbing on its surface, and at themoment of removing the hand, you let fall one of the coins held in reserve against the lining. Oragain, holding the coin at the tips of the fingers, you palm it, and then open the hand as thoughthrowing it from a distance through the crown of the hat.20 The left hand once more drops a coin,which chinks against those which are already lying in the crown.

    Finally, when all the four coins in the tube have been made use of, when the seven coins in theleft hand are exhausted, and the trick has lasted long enough, you pass behind the servante ofyour table, where you have beforehand placed one or more heaps of five or six coins. Getpossession of one of these heaps, which you produce all at once, and let the coins fall from somelittle height into the hat. This last effect may be repeated two or three times.

    Throughout the trick, the performer should study to find the coins in the greatest possible varietyof places; for instance, in the air, in the flame of a candle, in a lady's handkerchief, in a glove ora gentleman's cravat, on the tip of a child's nose, in the sleeves of spectators, on his own trouser-leg, even on the bald head of an elderly gentleman.

    MISE-EN-SCENE OF THE TRICK.

    Your "patter" may run somewhat as follows:

    "The spot in which we are at this moment, ladies and gentlemen, was inhabited, a couple ofcenturies ago, by an alchemist who was little known among his contemporaries, but who leftbehind him some very curious discoveries.

    "The manuscripts in which he noted the results of his various researches have only recently cometo light. I have looked through them, and I have satisfied myself that the worthy man, like hispredecessors, was in search of the philosopher's stone. As a matter of course he did not find it,but in seeking for it he discovered, among other things, the secret of dematerialising money. Ihave tried his method, and I think I may claim to have succeeded.

    "I have taken advantage of the invention, and have done away with my iron safe. Whenever Ihave any money in my possession, I dematerialise it at once, and the coins, thus renderedinvisible and impalpable, float about in the air in every direction. This room is full of them. I willcollect a few before your eyes; but in order that you maybe satisfied that there is no deception,' Iwill ask one of the gentlemen present to lend me his hat to serve as cash-box. Thank you, sir(You press your seven coins with the left hand against the lining, and then get one from themoney-slide into the right.) "Attention! I am going to begin. The only difficulty is to train one'seyes to distinguish the coins. Ah, here is one just on the point of getting frizzled in the flame ofthe candle." you show it, and throw it into the hat, but immediately take it out again, remarking: "Stay, though! I forgot to look at the date. Ah, 1850."

    In the act of looking for the date, you have let the coin slip down into the sleeve; you then makebelieve to put it back in the hat. The left hand simultaneously lets fall a coin.

    20 In practice, these three movements would form one only, the effect being as if the coin was thrown fromthe finger-tips through the crown of the hat TRANS.

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    Here is another just coming down. I will catch it in its flight. (You make believe to drop thecoin into the hat, but instead of actually doing so, you palm it.)

    "Another." You toss the coin in the air and catch it in the palm of the hand, whence you let it slipdown into the sleeve. You bring the closed (and in reality empty) hand up to the outside of thehat; the coin appears to pass through the silk and fall inside.

    "Madam, will you oblige me with that coin in your handkerchief?" You shake the handkerchief,the coin falls. You take it with the tips of the fingers, then rapidly close the hand and palm it,meanwhile making believe to throw it through the crown of the hat. As the right hand againopens, the left drops a coin inside the hat.

    Take care, sir! here is a coin just falling on your head." So saying, you show the coin once more,and then drop it unmistakably into the hat. With the right hand you stir about the five coinswhich are in the hat, and exhibit them, remarking, "You see that they are genuine coins."

    You chink them together in the hand, then return them to the hat, but keep one palmed, andcontinue in like manner, ad Iibitum.

    You must do your best to vary and enliven your method of proceeding. When you reach the pointat which you pick up a whole handful of coins at once, you may remark

    "Upon my word, I might well tell you that it only needs a little practice to be able to see thecoins, for here they come on all sides. I hardly know where to begin," &c., &c.

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    A FINANCIAL OPERATION.To allow a person to take a handful of pieces of money; and then, having made him count them

    on a tray, to pour them into his hand, and twice in succession to make a certain number of othercoins pass into his hand with the before-mentioned.

    You must use for the purpose of this trick the tray known as the "multiplying" tray, with twomoney tubes.21

    "Gentlemen, I propose to ask your assistance in a little financial operation. It has been said thatcommerce is other people's money.' This definition at any rate exactly applies to finance, whichis in truth only a branch of commerce.

    "Suppose, for instance, that this gentleman" (you indicate one of the spectators) "has discoveredin his garden a vein of virgin gold; how is he to set about developing his mine, if he has not thecapital necessary to meet the preliminary expenses, always pretty heavy in such cases? If heapplies to a banker to procure the needful capital, and the speculation appears to be really a goodone, the banker will advise him to start a joint-stock company. He will perhaps advance him asmall sum to begin with, but will recommend him to raise the remainder by means of otherpeople's money.

    "If you will allow me, sir, I will myself, for the moment, play the part of the banker a verypleasant part, by the way. But, before we go further, we will take, to represent the capital ofthe future shareholders, two little parcels of coins from this purse, seven coins, we will say, in theone, and eight in the other."

    (We have said seven, but the number may be greater or less, being regulated by the number ofcoins which the tubes of your tray are arranged to hold. The first heap should be exactly equal tothe contents of one tube. The second heap must consist of one more than the first.)

    "We will suppose that the first shareholder is a small capitalist who has hidden his savings at thebottom of his trunk, and that he has wrapped them in paper. I might have said in an old stocking,but I prefer to say paper, as being more refined."

    You wrap the coins in a piece of paper, and in moving to place them on your table exchange thelittle packet thus formed for another of exactly similar appearance, but empty, and placedbeforehand in readiness on the servante.

    "As to the other shareholder, let us suppose, while we are about it, that he is some merchant-prince, who does not trouble himself to buy stockings to wrap his money in, because he wouldwant too many of them. He hands over his capital in like manner."

    (Here you place the pile of eight coins, uncovered, by the side of the empty paper parcel.)

    21 The multiplying tray is a tray with its upper and under surface about an eighth of an inch apart. Betweenthese two surfaces is placed a flat tin tube, open at one end, to contain four or more coins. There may, asin the trick under description, be two of these tubes, placed side by side, but opening at opposite ends.-TRANS.

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    "This being settled, as I am your banker, I come to you, sir, and invite you to dip into this purse,and to help yourself to whatever money you may require. Don't be afraid of taking too much:help yourself to a good large handful.

    "Now, as strict reckonings make good friends, it is as well that I should know how much youhave borrowed. Count the coins, if you please, from your hand on to this plate.22 Twenty seven?"(This number will of course vary.) "Very good! We will bear in mind that number. Now then,hold out your two hands, please, and I will pour into them the coins which you have justcounted." (The seven coins, from one of the tubes, fall into the hand with the others. Fig. 20.)"Now keep your hands fast closed. I will myself withdraw to a little distance, and as it isadmitted on all hands that money attracts money, and as I have now, by my first advance, floatedyour speculation, I feel sure that the rich capitalist's contribution will not be long before itreaches you."

    Here you pick up the pile of eight coins with the tips of the fingers of the left hand, and makebelieve to take them thence with the right, but in reality let them fall into the hollow of the lefthand. The right hand closes as though full, while the left is gently lowered and gets rid of thecoins either into a secret pocket or on the servante.

    One, two, three,-Pass!"

    You open the right hand, and show that it is empty.

    "You felt them, no doubt. No! Did not the pleasure of finding your capital increase give you anagreeable sensation? Come, let us count once more. Twenty-seven coins that you had already,and eight that I have just sent you, should make thirty-five in all. Let us count and see if it is so."

    Fetch your tray, whose false bottom is still "loaded" with seven coins, but before leaving yourtable, secure from the servante a single coin, which you palm in the right hand. Hold the traywith this same hand during the counting of the coins.

    "What do you say, sir? Thirty-four only? Then there is one short. It must have fallen by the way.Ah! yes, see, here it is in your handkerchief, madam! "

    You transfer the tray to the other hand, then pick up the handkerchief with the right, give it ashake, and drop from it the coin which you have just before palmed.

    22 It is well always to count with the spectator, to prevent any possibility of mistake.

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    "It was my fault, for not wrapping them up. However, the total is all right now. Take your moneyonce more, sir," (you pour it into the spectator's hands as before, while the remaining seven coinsslide out from under the tray and join the others), "and wait patiently for the contribution ofcapitalist No. 2. To tell the truth, he is a little reluctant. I shall have to use my power as magico-banker, or banker magician. I take the seven coins out of the paper with my wand, and send themto join the others. Go! See, the paper is empty; let us count once more. Thirty-five and sevenshould make forty-two." (You make the spectator count the coins on the tray.) "Quite correct, yousee, forty-two! Now, sir, that your speculation is floated, I withdraw my capital, together withthat of your two shareholders, as a remuneration for my trouble. That's only fair, is it not? And,besides, you will be able henceforth to dispense with my assistance, since I have just shown youa process for attracting money into your own coffers."

    You then carry off the tray and the coins upon it.

    If you do not happen to possess a tray with two money tubes, you can make shift with one only,but you will be obliged in that case to suppress a portion of the patter above given; unless,indeed, you possess sufficient dexterity to dispense with the use of the money-tube for the firststage of the trick, using instead the hand only. The use of the tray is absolutely necessary for thesecond "pass," because the company and the person assisting you, knowing beforehand the effectto be produced, note all your movements with more than. ordinary vigilance.

    In order to dispense with the money-tube the first time, you must proceed as follows:

    Advance to the gentleman assisting you, and present the tray (held in the right hand, the thumbabove and the four fingers beneath). Between these fingers and the tray are seven coins, whichyou concealed in your hand before taking up the tray. These coins are hidden between the bottomof the tray which covers them and the fingers which hold them. Have the twenty-seven coinscounted on the tray, and then ask the spectator to hold out his hand to receive them. As youspeak, you empty into your own right hand the coins just counted, which, mingling with theseven coins which are there already, form a total of thirty-four, which you place bodily in thehand of the person assisting you. (It is hardly necessary to remark that you must hold the tray insuch manner as not to permit the escape of the coins placed there for the second stage of thetrick.)

    This done, continue after the manner above described, with the single money-tube of the tray.

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    THE FLYING HALF-CROWNS. Four half-crowns being placed in a small casket, to make them pass one after another into a

    glass placed at the opposite side of the room.

    THE apparatus necessary for this trick consists of:

    1. The blue money-glass,

    2. The half-crown casket,

    3. The half-crown wand.

    The money-glass is a tumbler, of ordinary appearance, but sufficiently deep in colour (green orblue) to conceal the fact that it has a false bottom (working on a hinge), beneath which there issufficient space for four half-crowns to lie concealed.

    The half-crown casket is a little box so constructed that, each time it is closed, one of four coinswhich are placed therein like rings in a jewel-case, disappears. When the four coins have alldisappeared from sight, an ingenious mechanical arrangement enables the performer to turn thebox upside down without fear of letting the coins fall out (Fig. 21).

    The half-crown wand is in appearance like the ordinary magic wand, but so constructed that youcan make a half-crown appear at one end of it and disappear again at pleasure.23

    The preliminary preparations for the execution of the trick are as follows:

    1. You "set" the casket for the reception of the coins.24

    2. You place four half crowns under the false bottom of the blue glass.

    "Who will be kind enough," you ask, "to lend me a few half-crowns? You need not hesitate,gentlemen; here borrowed money is always repaid, and in point of fact, those who may kindlyassist me in this experiment will find it well worth their while. The money which I hand them

    23 For details of the construction of these three pieces of apparatus, see Modern Magic, pp. 200 et seq.-TRANS.

    24 This is done by pressure with a pin through a minute hole on one side of the casket.-TRANS.

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    back will have acquired the faculty of multiplying in their pockets. I am therefore really givingyou the opportunity of a capital investment.

    "Four coins will be sufficient for my purpose. Personally, a larger number would notinconvenience me, but you see my little casket here has only spaces for that number.

    " Let us have a look at the coins. They happen to be all of different dates: George the First,George the Fourth, George the Third, and Victoria. You must admit that one need be prettyskilful to make so many rival sovereigns travel all one way for five minutes together.

    "I put them, one after another, in this casket, which I will place in full view on this little roundtable.

    "Now observe this glass, which you see is perfectly empty." You hold the glass upside down,rattling the wand about within it. This is done in order to mask any sound which the coins mightmake, if they chanced to shift at all under the false bottom.

    "I will place the glass as far as possible from the casket, say on this other table."

    In placing the glass on the table, you push aside with the little finger the catch which releases thefalse bottom;25 and so set the coins at liberty.

    "Here then we have an empty glass, and there a casket containing four half-crowns. I proposesimply to pass those four coins one after another into the glass. At my command, they will one byone leave the box, and will fall into the glass."

    "I close the box, and I say to the first coin, 'Go!'

    "You follow with your wand the course which the coin is supposed to take. "It is gone!"

    The spectators hear the sound of a coin falling apparently into the glass. This sound is producedby your assistant behind the scenes, who stands as near as possible to the blue glass, and, onhearing the word of command, drops a coin into another glass placed in front of him.

    You open the little casket. "You see that one coin has departed from the box, which I will closeonce more. This time, to prove to you that the coins really travel in the way I tell you, I will catch

    25 This is a little arm of tin, working on a pivot, which projects through the bottom of the glass, and securesor releases the hinged flap. -TRANS.

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    the second, flying, on my wand. Second coin, go! I catch it, so! Here it is, you see, on the end ofmy wand." (You cause the half-crown to appear, as in Fig. 22.) "I will take it in my hand" (yousuit the action to the word by drawing the wand through your left hand, and in so doing make thecoin disappear again within the wand) "and send it to join the first. (A second coin is heard to fallupon the first.) "You see that now there are only two coins left in the casket. The third" (here youclose the casket) "I will take out of the box with my wand" (the coin appears on the end of thewand accordingly); "I will carry it in full view half-way, and from thence pass it into the glass.Go!" As you say these words, you make a throwing movement, which enables you to "vanish"the coin from the end of the wand. Another "chink" is heard in the glass.

    "Notice again, please, that there is now only one coin left in the casket, which we close again forthe last time."

    Here you draw near to your table to lay down your wand (which may be exchanged for anunprepared one, to meet the possibility of any one asking to examine it) and in so doing getpossession of a half-crown which has been placed beforehand on the servante; this you palm inthe right hand, then place yourself halfway between the glass and the casket.

    "Attention! Fourth coin, Go! Stay, I will catch it in its flight."

    You make a catching movement, and show the coin which you have just concealed in your righthand; then, in the act of apparently transferring it to the left, you again palm it in the right. Theleft hand closes as though it contained the coin. You make a motion as if throwing it towards theglass, and say

    "I will send it to rejoin its companions. One, two, THREE!" As you say the last word, yourservant behind the scenes once more lets a coin fall into his own glass. You get rid of the palmedcoin by either dropping it into a pochette or by placing it quietly on the servante of your table.You open the little casket, turning it upside down to show that it is empty; and then turning overthe blue glass, pour out the four coins contained therein, which you return to the spectators wholent you the originals (Fig. 23).

    To render the trick still more surprising, you may have the four borrowed coins marked by theirowners. After they are marked, you exchange them for substitutes, and place these latter in thecasket. During this operation, which you purposely prolong a little, your servant places the fourmarked coins under the false bottom of the glass. This done, he brings forward the glass, and youcontinue the trick in the manner above described.

    The exchange of the coins may be effected as follows You bid your servant carry to the spectatorwho is to mark the coins the little bodkin or stiletto provided for this purpose. Meanwhile, you

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    yourself take from some convenient spot,26 where they have been placed beforehand, four otherhalf-crowns. The servant, necessarily turning his back on the company in returning to the stage,advances as if to hand you the borrowed coins, but he only makes believe to do so. Meanwhile,holding your own four coins at the tips of your fingers, you let these fall into the hollow of yourhand as if you were taking the genuine ones.

    Should you not happen to possess the half crown casket, you may make use, instead, of a specialtray (known as the "Vanishing" tray27), and place the coins on this. In this case you contentyourself with merely picking up the coins from the tray (into the interior of which theydisappear), and then pass them (apparently) from the hand into the glass; but the use of the halfcrown casket and the mechanical wand enable you to give a more striking character to the trick.

    26 This may be either a pocket, the servante of the principal table, or smaller servante behind a side tableor gueridon.--TRANS.

    27 For a description of this piece of apparatus, see Modern Magic, p. 208.TRANS.

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    MESMERIC SYMPATHY.A pack of cards being cut into two heaps, to guess several times in succession the card that is ontop of the one heap by looking at that which is on the other.

    OFFER a pack of cards to some one to shuffle, then shuffle again on your own account in suchmanner that you may know the top card. Place the pack on the table, and ask some one to cut,placing the upper packet, or "cut," towards himself.

    This done, announce that you will undertake to discover the card on the top of the one heap (thecard which you already know, and which we will suppose to be the ace of hearts) by looking atthe one which is on the top of the other heap. You look accordingly at the card on the top of thesecond heap (which we will suppose to be the knave of spades), and announce that the card onthe top of the first heap is the ace of hearts (Fig. 24). Replace the second packet on the first, whenthe knave of spades will naturally be on the top. Have the cards cut as before, look at the card onthe second heap (which we will suppose to be the knave of hearts), and name the knave of spadesas being the top card of the heap next to the person cutting. Then place your heap on his, and theknave of hearts will be the top card. You may in this manner continue the trick indefinitely.

    You may introduce the trick, by asserting that there exists between the cards a certain mesmericsympathy which enables you to tell by the face of one card, what is the suit and value of theother.28

    28 We can hardly conceive that the trick, as above described, would cause any illusion; indeed, it wouldseem almost an insult to the understanding of an ordinarily intelligent spectator. It might, however, bemade into a fair trick, as follows: Secretly ascertain the top card, and palm it. Have the pack shuffled.Replace known card. Have the pack cut, look at top card of second heap, and name known card. Join thecards with second heap on top. Palm the new top card (which you have just ascertained), and have packshuffled. Replace card, and continue ad libitum, each time palming the known card and having the packshuffled. -TRANS.

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    THE AMBITIOUS CARD.To place a card in different parts of the pack, and yet to make it always return to the top.

    "SINCE I have taken to the study of prestidigitation, I have noticed a very curious fact, namely,that cards, like human beings, are extremely fond of positions of dignity. To them the highesthonour is to lie on the top of the pack, and when one of them has been chosen by a spectator, itconsider that it has become very superior to its companions, and will persistently elbow them outof the way in order to get to the topmost place. If you like, I will give you a specimen of theselittle domestic dissensions among the cards.

    "Madam, will you be kind enough to draw a card? With your left hand, please. Very good. Whatcard have you taken? Oh! The queen of diamonds. Be kind enough to replace it yourself in thepack." (You make the pass.) "See, before I have time even to turn round, the card has got to thetop of the pack." (Shew the queen of diamonds, which, in consequence of the pass, is now on thetop.) "I again place it in the middle." (Pass it to the top by the Voisin method, described at page2.) "Scarcely have I done so, when the card, with extraordinary agility, regains its place on thetop of the pack. Again shew the card, but, while still talking, "change" it (as described at page 3)for the top card, which you hold low so that its face cannot be seen.

    "I replace the card a third time. Upon my word, this is too bad. The very moment I leave it, itflies to the top again. (Turn up the queen of diamonds, which was left by the "change" on thetop.) "But you may fancy, perhaps, that I don't really put the card in the pack. If you will put itback yourself, madam, there can be no doubt on the subject."

    So saying, you hold the queen of diamonds in your hand in full view of the spectators, andadvance towards the person to whom you speak. On your way, however, you again "change" thiscard for the top card, and offer this latter to the lady, who, having no reason to suspect the changewhich you have made,29 places the card in the pack without looking at its face.

    "You see, madam, the very moment you have let go of it, it has got back to its favouriteposition."

    Show the card, and hand the pack for examination to prove that it does not contain more than onequeen of diamonds. In fact, the better to satisfy the spectators on this point, it is as well, duringthe progress of the trick, to spread the pack two or three times before them.

    The prestidigitateur Alberti has the credit of being the inventor of this trick, which is veryeffective, but demands a considerable amount of dexterity to perform it neatly.

    29 This is strictly true. The "change" in skilful hands is practically invisible.-TRANS.

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    THE TWO CARD-BOXES. To cause two chosen cards to change places.

    THE card boxes (Fig. 25) are two flat boxes exactly alike, and containing each a thin woodenslab which, according as the box is laid the one or the other side upwards,30 falls into the oppositeside, and thereby conceals or exposes, as the case may be, a card placed in the box. A pretty little"transposition" trick may be performed with these boxes, as follows:

    Place in one of the boxes (say) a queen of spades, and in the other a seven of diamonds, andcover each card with the loose bottom. This done beforehand, take a pack of cards and "force"the queen of spades on one person, and the seven of diamonds on another. Then have the drawnqueen of spades placed in the box which contains the seven of diamonds, close the box, and inplacing it on the table, turn it over. Proceed in like manner with the drawn seven of diamonds,causing it to be placed in the box which contains the queen spades.

    On again opening the boxes it is found that the queen of spades has taken the place of the sevenof diamonds, and vice versa.

    Once more close the boxes, again turning them over, and show that the cards have returned totheir original positions.31

    30 It should be mentioned that the boxes are polished all over, top and bottom, so that no difference isdiscernible, whichever side chances to be uppermost.-TRANS.

    31 This is one only of many tricks which may be performed with the boxes in question, which are equallyavailable to change, produce or vanish cards. See Modern Magic, p. 134.-TRANS.

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    THE PEREGRINATIONS OF A CARD AND A COIN.A card having been drawn and placed in a box, to make it disappear from thence, appear in

    another, and afterwards to take the place of a sixpence which has been marked, and placed inanother box; the sixpence vanishing from such last-mentioned box and passing into a third box

    held by one of the spectators.

    THE pieces of apparatus required for this trick are as follows:

    1. The two "card-boxes" last described.

    2. A "rattle" box (Fig. 26). This is a box with a sliding lid, and so arranged that as you close thebox, by tilting it slightly, any piece of money which may have been placed therein slides gentlyalong the bottom, and deposits itself in the hand which holds the lid. Further, if you shake thebox, at the same time lightly pressing on the bottom, a little metal tongue which is concealedtherein moves backwards and forwards, in exact imitation of the noise which the coin wouldmake if it were still in the box. When the bottom is not pressed, all remains silent.

    3. The nest of boxes (seven or twelve, as the case may be). This is a circular box containingsometimes six, sometimes eleven other boxes fitting one within another. Before beginning thetrick in which the "nest" of boxes is to be used, you open them all and place all the lids on oneside, and the boxes On the other, but in regular order one within another, so that by placing thecollected lids on the collected boxes (Fig. 27) you close the whole at once. But though the boxescan be closed simultaneously, when they have to be opened, the spectator who is invited to do somust necessarily open them one by one. (Fig. 28.)

    Preliminary preparations. Under the lid of the rattle box you fix, with a small piece of wax, acard, say the ace of hearts, You place another ace of hearts in one of the two "card-boxes," andlay the loose bottom over it. Lastly, you open all the seven boxes of the nest, and place the boxeson the one side and the lids on the other.

    Working of the trick. Borrow a sixpence; have it duly marked, and placed in the "rattle-box."

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    In closing the box, you slope it slightly, so as to let the coin slip out into the hand that holds thelid. With this same hand you give a little push to the card which you have fastened under the lid.The card is thereby detached, and falls loose in the box in the place of the sixpence.

    Place the box on the table, first, however, shaking it, and at the same time pressing the bottom, soas to make the spectators believe that the coin is still therein. Then go and fetch the little nest ofboxes, but before closing it, quickly and adroitly slip in the coin, which has remained in yourhand, then hand the box to one of the spectators. Next force a card corresponding with that whichis in the box (in this case the ace of hearts); have this card placed in the empty card-box. Closethe box, turn it over, and place it on a table at the opposite side to that on which you have placedthe rattle-box.

    Open the other card-box, in which the other ace of hearts is hidden; show that it (apparently)contains nothing, close it, and place it (turning it over as you do so) on your centre table. Thisdone, announce that the ace of hearts will pass into the box which at present contains the coin(i.e. the rattle-box), but that the distance being somewhat great, it will rest on the way, in the boxon the centre table.

    Open the first card-box, which is now (apparently) empty, and shew that the ace of hearts is nowin the second card-box. Again close this box, turn it over, and lay it down again.

    Take up the rattle-box and "rattle" it to prove that the marked coin is still therein; then, under thepretext of desiring to make room for the ace which is about to appear therein, order the coin topass into the little box (the nest of boxes) which is in the custody of one of the spectators.

    Open the rattle-box, when the ace of cards will be found therein. Show that the card in questionis no longer in the second card-box. Request the person who holds it to open the nest of boxes,and to testify that the coin which he finds in the innermost box is really that which was marked.

    In place of the coin, a ring, borrowed from a lady, maybe used instead, if preferred.

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    THE RISING CARDS. (Improved Method.)32

    THE trick of the "rising cards" is described in pretty nearly every work on magic. I only allude toit in order to place before the reader the various improvements which have from time to timebeen made in the trick.

    The most important is the suppression of the tin box or houlette which held the cards (Fig 29),which has been replaced (greatly for the better) by a case of similar shape, but made of glass.Instead of, as formerly, arranging the cards which are intended to "rise" in a hinder compartmentof the case, they are placed in readiness on the table, and laid on the top of the pack before youplace it in the receptacle; or they may form part of a second pack for which you exchange secretlythat which you have been using, the change being made either on the servante or on the tableitself.

    You may, if preferred, have two of these glass cases, one of which will contain the preparedpack, and will be placed in readiness on the servante. You allow the spectators themselves toplace the pack in the other case, and secretly exchange it for this one.

    You may make the trick of the rising cards more complex by having one of the cards torn intoeight pieces, which you place in the brass bird-box (see Fig. 41).33 You make believe to withdrawseven of the pieces with your wand and to pass them into the case which holds the rising cards.The card appears in due course, but with one piece missing. You open the bird-box, wherein themissing fragment is found; you take out the torn card to show that the fragment exactly fits it,replace the card in the glass case, and then "vanish" the fragment in the act of (apparently)throwing it at the card, which again appears, but this time complete. This is (as the reader willreadily understand) another card which has been placed in readiness beforehand.

    Or again, you leave the card half-way out of the glass case, showing the gap created by themissing piece; you take this latter out of the box in which it was placed, and in making believe to

    32 For a full description of the working of this trick, see Modern Magic, p. 125 et seq.- TRANS.

    33 The piece of apparatus known as the plug-box " will be found more suitable. See Modern Magic, p. 192.-- TRANS.

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    pass it to join itself to the card, you "vanish" it, while the card is seen to become whole in atwinkling under the very eyes of the spectators.

    The card used in this case is glued on to a thin tin plate with a little spring flap in one corner, towhich is attached the missing fragment. This flap being folded back behind the card cannot beseen by the spectators. But when the card in its upward course has arrived at a certain height, thespring flap, which has hitherto been held back by the hinder surface of the glass receptacle,passes its upper edge. As soon as it does so, it flies forward, and replaces the torn fragment in itsnormal position (Fig. 30).

    Sometimes an amusing little mystification is introduced, as follows: You have forced (say) theseven of spades, but on the seven which is to rise from the pack, you have beforehand, with alittle wax, stuck a loose pip of the spade suit, so as to give the card the appearance of an eight.After having had the drawn card named and ordering it to appear, you place yourself a littlebehind the cards, so as to take out the card without yourself seeing it. You then show it to thedrawer, saying, Here is your card, you see."

    If the person in question does not himself repudiate the card, some one of the spectators is prettysure to remark aloud, "That is not the card. It is an eight."

    You pause, lower the card for an instant, and, while still. talking, detach with your nail the loosepip, which comes off very readily. Addressing yourself to the spectator who made theobservation: "An eight, you say? I thought the gentleman said it was a seven he drew. Did younot, sir?" The drawer replies in the affirmative.

    Well then, why did somebody say that it was an eight you took? What do you say?"

    "It was an eight that came out of the glass."

    "Impossible, sir; let us clearly understand each other, for I make it a point of honour never tohave such a thing as a failure in my experiments. You are sure that it was really a seven of spadesthat you drew?" Naturally the answer is in the affirmative. You turn up the card, whichhaving got rid of the loose pip, has now become a seven. "It is a seven, you see, that came up you are trying to play me a trick," &c., &c.

    The same effect may also be obtained by the use of a mechanical card specially adapted for thispurpose. The eighth pip moves from its place by means of a little lever which makes it shift fromone point to another, according as the card is desired to appear as a seven or as an eight. When

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    the movable pip is not intended to be seen, it lies just over one of the corner pips, and so is notperceptible.

    The threads which actuate this moveable pip are of white horsehair, extremely fine, and areinvisible against the face of the card even at a very short distance (Fig. 31). A mechanical cardthus constructed is a triumph of patient ingenuity.34

    For this same trick of the rising cards, a bouquet of artificial flowers has been devised, with alittle box in the middle to hold the pack of cards. In this case, no thread is used to cause the cardsto rise. The stem of the bouquet is mechanical, and a slight movement of the fingers actuates alittle metal tongue which pushes up the drawn cards. These must have been brought to the top ofthe pack by means of the "pass." Even this bouquet has been still further improved upon, and thelatest idea is to have a glass receptacle which fits on the end of the performer's wand. In this casethe wand is mechanical being made like the stem of the bouquet above described.

    The advantage of these two last improvements is that the cards to appear from the houlette neednot be forced cards. The pack of cards is passed from hand to hand, the spectators choose anycards they please and give you back the pack. You then have the drawn cards placed in themiddle, and by means of the "pass" bring them to the top. You palm them off, and hand theremainder of the cards to be shuffled. When they are returned to you, you replace the palmedcards on the pack, which you then place in the houlette on the wand, or in the bouquet (as thecase may be), and push up the spring.

    You may also, in the ordinary form of the trick (with the receptacle placed on the top of adecanter) dispense with the assistant who draws th