Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

“Will some gentleman now have the kindness to empty his breast-pocket, and allow me to place the pack in it.” (This is done.) “Now that the cards are placed in perfect darkness, I will endeavour, by virtue of that five-fold sensibility of touch which I have just mentioned, to discover, by the aid of my fingers only, the card which this lady drew. To make my task still more difficult, I will undertake to draw the card at such number as you yourselves may choose. What number shall it be?” (We will suppose that the reply is “Seventh.”) “Seventh, be it so. Then six times in succession I must avoid taking the drawn card, and produce it on the seventh occasion only. One, two, three, four, five, six.” (He exhibits six cards one by one, taking them from the bottom of the pack.) “Now to find the lady’s card! Yes, I think I have it. Before taking it out, I will read it with my little finger, which is the cleverest of the five. Yes! It is not a small card; it is not a club, nor a spade, nor yet a diamond. It is the king of ----” (He draws out the card, and places it face downwards.) “Will you be good enough, madam, to finish naming the card before I turn it over, and we shall see whether my little finger has been correct in its assertions.” (The lady names the king of hearts, which the performer forthwith turns up.) “My little finger was right, you see. Will you be good enough, sir, to take the remainder of the cards out of your pocket, and testify that the experiment has really been performed exactly as I have stated.”