THE MYSTIC CHANGE.
Take the four kings into your hand in such a manner that one slightly overlaps the other, yet so that each can easily be distinguished when held closely in the hand.
After showing them to the company, you slide them together, and place them, thus joined, upon the top of the pack, held in your right hand. You then draw off the four top cards, and lay each in a person’s lap, face downwards, directing them to place the flat of the hand upon them. You now draw four other cards from the pack, and place them each upon the lap of a neighbour of each of the four above persons, and direct them also to cover them with the flat of the hand. You now step with the rest of the cards, in front of each of these eight persons, flirt the cards towards the lap of each, and when each lifts his card from his lap, and looks at it, it appears that the four persons, upon whose lap you have placed the four kings, have altogether different cards, and their neighbours have now the four kings.
This is done in the following manner. While you are drawing the four kings from the pack, and placing them as described, one upon the other in your hand, you, at the same time, unperceived, carry off four other cards, and place them behind the four kings, so that they lie in the hollow of your hand, and cannot be seen. When, after having showed the four kings, you push them together in a heap, the four kings, of course, come in front of the four other cards, which latter now lie on the top of the pack; these you distribute to the first four persons, and then deal out the four kings to their neighbours.
TO SEPARATE A CHOSEN CARD FROM THE PACK AT A BLOW.
If the pack is placed between the finger and thumb of one of the company, holding it by one corner, and you strike them abruptly upwards with your wand while the grasp is tight, the cards will fly away, except the uppermost one. This will be caught between the fingers, on their coming naturally together on closing the pack between them.
Variation.—If the blow is given downwards the bottom card will be similarly retained.
It follows that if you have placed a selected card in either of the above positions described, it must be the one which is thus left in the person’s hold.
KNOCKING A CARD OUT OF THE PACK.
When a chosen card is replaced in the pack, bring it to the middle as you pretend to shuffle them.