The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 | ||
14. Cards being drawn from a pack, to get them guessed by a person blindfolded.
At all these performances there are always amongst the spectators persons in league with the prestidigitator. In the present case a woman is the assistant, with whom he has entered into an arrangement
The performer takes a handkerchief and blindfolds the lady in question, and places her in the centre of the circle of spectators. Then spreading out the cards, he requests each of the spectators to draw a card.
He requests the first to give him the card he has drawn; he looks at it, and placing it on the table face downwards, he asks the lady to name the card, which she does instantly and without hesitation.
Of course this appears wonderful to the spectators, and their astonishment goes on increasing whilst the lady names every card in succession to the last.
It is, however, a very simple affair. Each card represents a letter of the alphabet, as we see by the figure, and all the performer has to do is to begin every question with the letter corresponding to the card.
Suppose the party has drawn the king of hearts. Its letter is A. The performer exclaims — `Ah! I'm sure you know this!' The A at once suggests the card in question. Suppose it is the ace of
Doubtless these specimens will suffice to suggest phrases for every other card. Such phrases may be written out and got by heart — only twenty-three being required; but this seems useless, for it does not require much tact at improvisation to hit upon a phrase commencing with any letter. However, it will be better to take every precaution rather than run the risk of stopping in the performance, whose success mainly depends upon the apparently in-spired rapidity of the answers. The performer might conceal in the hollow of his hand a small table exactly like the figure, to facilitate his
The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 | ||