Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

It only remains to be stated how the necessary knowledge for the answers is communicated to the person who controls the movements of the piece. With respect to chosen cards, the cards are either indicated by the wording of the questions, or are agreed on beforehand, the performer taking care to “force” the right ones. The assistant is enabled to predict the throw of the dice by the simple expedient of using a small boxwood vase, in which there are two compartments, in one of which a pair of dice (apparently the same which have just been dropped in haphazard from the top) have been arranged beforehand for the purpose of the trick. The ordinary fortune-telling questions, as to “Which young lady will be married first?” “Which spends most time at her looking-glass?” “Which has most sweethearts?” and so on, are either answered in accordance with previous arrangement, or according to the fancy of the moment. Of course, where a question of this kind is asked, the performer takes care to follow up the question by designating a number of persons in succession, so that a mere “Yes” or “No” may be a sufficient answer. We shall next proceed to describe three or four pieces of apparatus designed to cause a piece of money to disappear, and therefore well adapted for commencing a coin trick. There are other appliances, more particularly adapted for re-producing a coin. Any of these will be available for the conclusion; the particular combination being at the option of the performer.