“Now, cent, as you have performed so well, you shall have a bath.” Placing the tumbler near the edge of the table, draw the cent into it. After exhibiting it in the water, say, “Oh, cent, you must not stay so long in the water.” Then jerk it out upon the table. Detach the waxed end of the hair by your nail, after which return the cent to the person who loaned it to you.
When performing this trick, in order to keep the spectators at a little distance, you must inform them that “the cent is very susceptible to magnetic influences, and request ladies not to approach too near it, as the loadstones of their eyes are the cause of the magnetic attraction.”
Fig. 7.
My young friends must remember that it is absolutely necessary to keep up in spectators their belief in the mysterious, and therefore must decline on the spot to give explanations before or after the performance of this trick, however they may be disposed to reveal the secret privately to any friend. A singular instance is recorded of a person who was grievously disappointed when by importunity he had received an explanation of this very trick, which had appeared at first to him a most marvellous phenomenon; and he was quite annoyed when the gilt was stripped off his ginger-bread. It is said that a gentleman walked into a coffee-room at Manchester, England, and was exhibiting to a friend the above trick. A traveler at a table near them had his attention drawn by their laughing discourse, while one of them exhibited the trick to the other. The cold barrier of English reserve was broken down, and he addressed one of the strangers, requesting to be informed how the trick was done. For his part he imagined it must be connected with some perfectly new philosophical law of attraction involved in the experiment. “Will you be kind enough to tell me? I shall be happy to offer a fee to learn it. I was about to proceed by the next train, but I will gladly defer my journey to understand this, which appears so unaccountable.”
The gentleman declined for a considerable time; but at length, being overcome by the importunity, in order to get rid of the matter, assented. The time of the departure of the train had arrived and passed by, and the aspirant offered two guineas to learn the trick. The gentleman acceded to his request on condition that he should faithfully promise not to reveal it to others, or to make public the mystery. “Agreed,” says the traveler. The mail train was gone—the money paid—the trick exhibited and explained to him. “Oh!” cried the traveler, “how easy and plain it is. What a simpleton I have been to lose my journey and spend my money only to learn how you—.” “Stop!” cried the gentleman, “remember you have promised not to divulge the secret.” “Yes, but how foolish to care for an experiment which only depends on—.” “Stop, sir, stop. Are you going to tell all the room?” and thus a good half-hour’s amusement was caused by the traveler fretting over his simplicity, and having relinquished an important journey for that which, though marvellous while a secret, became so simple and uninteresting to him after an explanation.
[CHAPTER III.]
TRICKS WITH AND WITHOUT COLLUSION.
In resuming my hints to amateurs, I shall now offer some remarks upon two subjects.
First.—I will notice the class of tricks that are performed by the collusion of a confederate. Old books on conjuring record several of this description, and some conjurors still practise them. But I do not advise the inexperienced frequently to exhibit tricks of this sort, for the co-operation of assistants used in them is liable to be traced by spectators, or to be divulged by the person who has been employed to aid in the exhibition of them. They may, indeed, be very well as a make-shift until dexterity of hand is acquired; but they will always rank as an inferior branch of the science of conjuring, and if the collusion is discovered, it will throw discredit even upon those tricks which the same performer may exhibit without such collusive arrangement. An instance of the annoying failure of such dependence upon confederates is recorded in “Houdin’s Memoirs.” It is there related that Torrini, at the commencement of his career, was insidiously induced by an envious rival (Pinetti) to undertake a public exhibition of his art before a very grand assembly. Torrini was at the time diffident of his own attainments, but he was persuaded to make the attempt by the assurance of Pinetti that he would take care that several confederates should be present, and should help in carrying out sundry illusions which he would have to display. One of these was, that the conjuror, after borrowing a ring, was to restore it magically into the possession of its owner. The ring was borrowed, and some mysterious gesticulations practised; but instead of the contemplated result being produced, the false confederate proclaimed aloud that he had lent a very valuable jewelled ring, and had only received back a common copper ring. The audience was of course disappointed at such words so derogatory to the conjuror. This unpleasant feeling was deepened by the malicious meddling of another false confederate. Torrini had to present some cards to the King of Naples, who was honoring the assembly by witnessing the exhibition, and a card was selected by his Majesty. Instead, however, of being pleased with what he saw on the card, the king manifested intense disapprobation. The confederate had written on the card words of disrespect and insult, and Torrini had to retire amid the loud censures of the enraged spectators. There may be no danger of so disastrous results to a young amateur; but dissatisfaction of a milder kind will probably ensue whenever it is discovered that any trick has depended upon the secret co-operation of an assistant among the spectators.