to make the pass, so as to bring the three eights, originally at the bottom, to the top. If you are sufficiently expert, you may make the pass at the very instant that you place the four sevens on the top of the pack; but, unless you are very adroit, it is better to bide your time and make it an instant later, when the attention of the audience is less attracted to your hands. You then continue, “I shall now take these sevens (you can see for yourselves that I have not removed them), and place them in different parts of the pack.” At the words, “You can see for yourselves,” etc., you take off the four top cards, and show them fanwise. In reality, three of them are eights, but the fourth and foremost card being actually a seven, and the eighth pip of each of the other cards being concealed by the card before it, and the audience having, as they imagine, already seen the same cards spread out fairly upon the table, there is nothing to suggest a doubt that they are actually the sevens. (You will now see the reason why it is necessary to place uppermost the seven of the same suit as the absent eight. If you had not done so the seven in question would have been of the same suit as one or other of the three sham sevens, and the audience, knowing that there could not be two sevens of the same suit, would at once see through the trick.) Again folding up the four cards you insert the top one a little above the bottom of the pack, the second a little higher, the third a little higher still, and the fourth (which is a genuine seven) upon the top of the pack. The four sevens, which are apparently so well distributed throughout the pack, are really together on the top, and you have only to make the pass, or, if you prefer it, simply cut the cards, to cause them to be found together in the centre of the pack.
The Inseparable Aces.—This is really only another form of the last trick, though it differs a good deal in effect. You first pick out and exhibit on the table the four aces, and request some one to replace them on the pack, when you place three other cards secretly upon them. This you may either do by bringing three cards from the bottom by the pass, or you may, while the company’s attention is occupied in examining the aces, palm three cards from the top in the right hand, and, after the aces are replaced on the top, simply cover them with that hand, thereby bringing the three palmed cards upon them. You now say, “I am about to distribute these aces in different parts of the pack; pray observe that I do so fairly.” As you say this, you take off and hold up to the audience the four top cards, being the three indifferent cards with an ace at the bottom. You cannot, of course, exhibit them fanwise, as in the last trick, or the deception would be at once detected; but the spectators, seeing an ace at the bottom, and having no particular reason for suspecting otherwise, naturally believe that the cards you hold are really the four aces. Laying the four cards on the table, you distribute them, as in the last trick, in different parts of the pack; taking care, however, that the last card (which is the genuine ace), is placed among the three already at the top.
You now invite some one to cut. When he has done so, you take up the two halves, in their transposed position, in the left hand, at the same time slipping the little finger of that hand between them. The four aces are now, of course, upon the top of the lower packet. You then announce, “I am now about to order the four aces, which you have seen so well divided, to come together again. Would you like them to appear on the top, at the bottom, or in the middle of the pack? I should tell you that I know perfectly well beforehand which you will choose, and indeed I have already placed them at that particular spot.” If the answer is, “In the middle,” you have only to withdraw the little finger, and invite the company to examine the pack to see that they are already so placed. If the answer is, “On the top,” you make the pass to bring them there. To produce them at the bottom is rather more difficult, and unless you are pretty confident as to your neatness of manipulation, it will be well to limit the choice to “top” or “middle.” In order to be able to bring the four aces to the bottom, you must, in picking up the cards after the cut, push forward a little with the left thumb the four top cards of the lower packet, and slip the little finger below and the third finger above them, so as to be able to make the pass above or below those four cards as occasion may require. If you are required to bring those four cards to the top, you must withdraw the little finger (thereby joining those cards to the upper cards of the lower packet) and make the pass with the aid of the third finger instead of the fourth. If, on the contrary, you desire to produce the four aces at the bottom, you simply withdraw the third finger, thereby leaving the aces at the bottom of the upper packet, when the pass will bring them to the bottom of the pack.
We have described the trick as performed with the aces, but the effect will, of course, be the same with four kings, four queens, or any other four similar cards.
Having placed the Four Aces in different positions in the Pack, to make the two Black change places with the two Red ones, and finally to bring all Four together in the middle of the Pack.—This trick may immediately follow that last described. Again selecting the four aces (or such other four cards as you used for the last trick), and placing them on the table, take the two red ones, and opening the pack bookwise in the left hand, ostentatiously place them in the middle, at the same time secretly slipping your little finger between them. Ask the audience to particularly notice which of the aces are placed in the middle, and which at top and bottom. Next place one of the black aces on the top, and then turning over the pack by extending your left hand, place the remaining black ace at the bottom. As you again turn over the pack to its former position, make the pass, which the movement of the pack in turning over in the hand will be found to facilitate. The two halves of the pack having now changed places, the aces will, naturally, have changed their positions also, the two black ones now being in the middle, and the two red ones at top and bottom; but it would be very indiscreet to allow the audience to know that this is already the case. As has been already mentioned, when a given change has taken or is about to take place, you should always seek to mislead the spectators as to the time of the change, as they are thereby the less likely to detect the mode in which it is effected. In accordance with this principle, you should endeavour in the present case to impress firmly upon the minds of your audience that the cards are as they have seen you place them; and for that purpose it is well to ask some one to say over again, for the general satisfaction, in what parts of the pack the four aces are.
At this point a contretemps may arise, for which it is well to be prepared. The person interrogated may possibly forget the relative position of the two colours, and may, therefore, ask to see again how the cards are placed; or some person may have seen or suspected that you have already displaced them, and may make a similar request for the purpose of embarrassing you. In order to be prepared for such a contingency, it is desirable, after you make the pass as above mentioned, not to allow the two halves of the pack to immediately coalesce, but to keep them still separated by the little finger. If you have done this, and for any reason it becomes necessary to show the cards a second time in their original condition, you have only to again make the pass, in order to bring them back to the same position which they occupied at first, making it a third time in order to effect the change.
We will suppose that the audience are at length fully satisfied that the two red aces are in the middle, and the two black ones at the opposite ends of the pack. You then say, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to command these aces to change places. Pray observe by what a very simple movement the transposition is effected.” Making a quick upward movement with the right hand, you ruffle the cards, at the same moment saying, “Pass!” Turning the faces of the card to the audience, you show them that the red aces are now at top and bottom, and the black ones in the middle. While exhibiting them, take an opportunity to slip the little finger between these latter, and in closing the cards (while they are still face upwards), again make the pass, and place the pack face downwards on the table. You then say, “I have now, as you see, made the aces change places. I don’t know whether you saw how I did it. Perhaps I was a little too quick for you. This time I will do it as slowly as you please, or, if you prefer it, I will not even touch the cards with my hands, but merely place my wand upon the pack, so. Pass! Will you please to examine the pack for yourselves, when you will find that the aces have again changed places, and have returned to their original positions.” This is found to be the case. You continue, “You have not found me out yet? Well, to reward your attention, as this really is a very good trick, I will show you how to do it for yourselves.” Pick out the four aces,
