| HEARTS | DIAMONDS | CLUBS | SPADES | |
| 1. | Jim | Ronald | Philip | Ted |
| 2. | Bill | Archie | Claude | Adam |
| 3. | Charlie | Reggie | Ernest | Matthew |
| 4. | Jack | Gus | Fred | Doc |
| 5. | Harry | Victor | Geoffrey | David |
| 6. | Brown | Robin | Jesse | Andrew |
| 7. | Smith | Norman | Jacob | Isaac |
| 8. | Robinson | Gerald | Joe | Sam |
| 9. | Eric | Frank | Bert | Mike |
| 10. | Tom | Arthur | John | Mac |
| Jack | George | Oliver | Hal | Eli |
| Queen | Stevens | Harold | Ben | Leonard |
| King | Bert | Stanley | Dick | Hubert |
Glancing at this immediately on receipt of the message, he sees that “Charlie,” the name he is addressed by, stands for the three of hearts, and he ’phones back accordingly. Had your friend chosen the ten of spades, you would have instructed him to ask for “Mac,” and so on throughout the whole pack of fifty-two cards.
CHAPTER XVII
SHARPS AND FLATS
Spoofing a mesmerist—The spoofer spoofed—Spoof card tricks—Racecourse sharps—The “dud” diamond wheeze—I am beautifully “had”—Three-card trick sharps—A Newcastle adventure—Bunny’s spoof—Spoofing a “new chum”—The performing elephant and the dude—Wheezes and gags.
I was once supposed to have been mesmerised myself. It happened at Newcastle. I was a guest at an hotel there where a professional mesmerist also chanced to be staying.
One day, in the course of conversation, I expressed incredulity regarding his alleged power. “You can’t mesmerise me,” I said.
“Well,” he retorted, “I don’t mind trying. But you must promise not to try and resist me. You must remain passive.”
“All right,” I said, “I will. Go ahead with the show.”