Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

(Here he raises the goblet, and, in replacing it, introduces the second ball under it, as described in the chapter devoted to the Cups and Balls.) “I shall now order the ball to pass from the cover under the goblet.” He waves his wand from the one to the other. “Presto! Prestissimo! Pass!” (He raises the goblet, and shows that the ball has (apparently) passed under it.) The first ball still remaining under the paper tube, he cannot at present raise it, so proceeds rapidly to the next stage of the trick, that the omission may not be noticed. “So far,” he remarks, “the trick is mere child’s play. The real difficulty is to pass the cone under the cover in place of the ball. However, I will make the attempt.” So saying, he picks up the cone with his right hand, and apparently transfers it to his left, really palming it, and immediately afterwards dropping his right hand to his side, and getting rid of the cone into the profonde. Then, taking two or three steps away from the table, still holding the left hand as if containing the cone, and looking towards the cover, he says, “One, two, three, Pass!” with a motion of the hand as if throwing something; immediately showing the hands empty, and lifting up the cover (but this time by the top, so as not to exert any pressure against its sides), and showing the hollow shell, which now conceals the ball, and is taken by the spectators to be the genuine cone. “We have succeeded pretty well so far, ladies and gentlemen,” he remarks; “it remains to be seen whether I shall be equally successful in bringing back the cone and ball to their original positions. I dare say you would all like to know how the trick is done, and therefore this time I will vary the mode of operation, and make the transposition visibly.” (Here he drops his right hand to the profonde, and secretly palms the solid cone.) “First the cone” (he passes his right hand, keeping the back towards the audience, upwards along the cover, and, as it reaches the top, brings the cone into view). “Pray once more assure yourselves that it is fair and solid. Now for the ball.”