Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

So saying, you take up the cards, and run them rapidly over with their faces towards the spectators, taking care, however, not to expose either of the five at the top, four of which are the genuine aces. Then, addressing your assistant, you say, “The company being at last satisfied, perhaps you will be good enough to place your hand on those four cards, and hold them as tightly as possible.” Then, holding the pack in the left hand, you take between the first finger and thumb of the right hand the top card of the pack, being the only one left of the five you palmed and placed over the aces, and say, “Now I am going to take four indifferent cards one after the other, and exchange them for the four aces in this gentleman’s hand. Observe the simplicity of the process. I take the card that first comes to hand” (here you show the face of the card that you hold, which we will suppose to be the seven of diamonds), “I don’t return it to the pack, even for a moment, but merely touch the hand with it, and it becomes the ace of (say) spades” (which you show it to be). At the words “return it to the pack,” you move the card with what is taken to be merely an indicative gesture, towards the pack, and at the same instant “change” it by the third method (see page 30) for the top card of the pack, which is one of the aces.