RESERVE in the room where you perform a clear space of tolerably large dimensions, and place in such space first a piece of carpet; then, on the carpet, a little round table, which you afterwards enclose by a screen, sufficiently large completely to surround it.
The preparations above-named should be made in the presence of the company, whom you request to observe that the carpet is laid down in order to exclude all possible idea of communication through the floor; and that the table and screen are mere everyday pieces of furniture, and have not undergone any special preparation. You can invite, if you please, some member of the company to come forward and examine the whole.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to exhibit for your amusement a little magical performance, but presented with the same kind of mise en scene which might be employed by a conjurer who desired to pass off his tricks as spiritualistic manifestations.
"I have just placed in position, as you have seen, the table and the screen which I propose to use. I might have added a chair, and tied a confederate to it, professing that he was the motive power of the various effects to be produced behind the screen, but I prefer to exhibit my tricks without any such superfluous addition.
"Please to imagine, then, from this moment, that I am some celebrated spiritualist."
Describe with your magic wand a circle round the little table, then another round the screen, and continue:
"This little nook is about to be inhabited for a short time by the spirit of the celebrated enchanter, Merlin. In order to prove to you that he has already taken possession of the abode I have arranged for him, I will ask him to manifest his presence by the sound peculiar to spirits."
Walk round the screen, holding your right hand over it, and letting your left hand hang down beside the body, on the side remote from the audience. In this hand you have one of those little toys known in France as a cri-cri, and in England as a distinette,105 which you work as suits your
purpose. It consists (Fig. 63) of a little frame of coloured lead, carrying a broad slip of steel, slightly convex. In size it is little more than one inch long by half an inch in breadth. You take this instrument between the thumb and first finger, press slightly on the steel spring, and then let it fly back to its original condition. In recovering itself, as well as when originally pressed, it causes a sharp "rap." This little toy was in everybody's hands a few years since, but is now forgotten, so that you may safely use it, particularly if you take the precaution to mask its slightly
105 These were brought out some years since as a substitute for the castagnette, but were speedily
metallic sound by wrapping it in paper. This deadens the sound, and so alters its quality that no one is likely to recognise the source from whence it comes.
"That is pretty satisfactory," you remark, “but I will make him still further testify his presence by instantaneously igniting the liquid contained in this bowl."
You move about behind the screen a brass bowl containing lamp-cotton saturated with spirit of wine, to which you set fire, by means of a lucifer match attached to a mechanical contrivance, which can be worked imperceptibly from outside the bowl. (Fig. 64.) This apparatus is sold at the conjuring depots under the name of the " fire-bowl."
"Observe, if you please, ladies, that I have no intention of giving a mere spirit-rapping performance. I merely desire to call your attention to one or two rather curious manifestations."' THE KNOTTED POCKET-HANDKERCHIEFS. ― “To begin with, I will ask the loan of a few pocket-handkerchiefs. Here are four; that will be ample. I tie them one to another by means of knots which you are welcome to examine. I pull them hard to tighten them, and then, of all these handkerchiefs so tied together; I make a bundle and place it on the little table. I place the screen round it; and if the famous Merlin wishes to show us that his powers have not been over- estimated, he will undo all the knots in a single second."
You close the screen, and again, almost instantly, open it, and pick up the handkerchiefs, all the knots of which are found to be undone. This feat is extremely easy to execute. The knots which unite the handkerchiefs one to another should be made as follows:
Make a first knot with two handkerchiefs, but without pulling tight, taking care to carry the end of the handkerchief held in the left hand behind the one held in the right. In completing the knot follow the opposite rule; namely, carry the end of the handkerchief held in the right hand behind that which is held in the left. Pull lightly in the first instance; but when you have formed the complete chain of four handkerchiefs, pull the knots hard, but pulling, in each case, not b and a, but b and c. As b and c really form part of the same handkerchief, by pulling them you make them lose the tortuous form which they had occupied in the knot, and draw them into a straight
line with the portion a d forming a slip-knot round it. See Figs. 65, 66, and 67. (Fig. 65 shows how to make the knot; Fig. 66 the condition of things when b, c, are pulled into a straight line; and Fig. 67, the same thing with the folds of the slip-knot drawn up close, so as to look genuine and attract no suspicion.)
While rolling the handkerchiefs thus joined into a bundle together, you push off the slip-knot with the thumb and forefinger, and so free the portion b, c. While in this condition, the former twist of the knot still remains visible through the handkerchief, but, in taking it up, you give it a shake, and the knot disappears.106
THE HAT AND THE CHOSEN CARD. ― Borrow a hat and place it on your table,107 lying on its side with the opening toward the servante. Then take with the right hand a pack of cards, which should be placed in readiness at a short distance from the hat.
As you pick up the cards with the right hand, the left takes a “set of lanterns" from the servante and slips it into the hat. Advance to the spectators and ask one of them to take the pack and select from it any card he pleases. While he is making his selection, take up the hat again, as if to place it on the round table, but stop half-way, and glance inside, remarking ―
"The experiment I have in hand is one that requires to be made very clear, and I observe with satisfaction that the gentleman who has kindly lent me this hat has studied the subject, and proposes apparently to throw some light upon it.108 Be good enough" (to assistant) "to bring me a hook of some kind."
106 In the performance of this feat, Herrmann, Buatier, and other high-class performers, allow the knots to
be tied by the spectators themselves, an element which heightens tenfold the effect. Much practice, keen eyesight, and a little generalship are necessary to the performance of the trick in this form, though it is not so difficult as might at first sight be supposed. The performer, holding a handkerchief in each hand, asks a spectator to tie the ends together (he holding them the while). He takes care to keep them at a tolerably wide angle, and sufficiently far apart not to give the spectator any very great amount of the stuff to deal with. Under these circumstances the spectator is pretty sure to tie either a "reef-knot "as above described, or a "granny," which very nearly resembles it. The performer then examines the knot critically, saying, "What kind of a knot do you call this, sir?" and pulling it this way and that, professedly to tighten it, but really in order to get it into the condition shown in Figs. 65, 66. This can generally be managed without much difficulty, so long as you pull on the right ends and here good eyesight becomes necessary. A difference of colour or texture between the two handkerchiefs will greatly assist in distinguishing the portion to be pulled. If, notwithstanding his efforts, the performer finds that a given knot defies all his efforts to convert it into a slip, he is still not conquered. In such case he pulls it as tight as he possibly can, and then remarks, "Now let us see, in the first place, how long it will take in a natural way, to untie just one of these knots. Will you try, sir, how quickly you can untie this knot?" Watch in hand, the performer times the operation and states the result, then himself ties a fresh knot, or invites some other person to do so, and proceeds with the trick.-TRANS.
107 This is of course a distinct table from that which the performer is directed to enclose within the screen.
The author apparently contemplates the performer's general stage arrangements remaining in statu quo, the small round table and screen being additional.-TRANS.
108 Two or three other mild jokes, which have a very good effect in the original, are unavoidably lost in
Your assistant brings forward a little metal hook, which he has heated behind the scenes to a high temperature. 109 By means of the hot iron you light the match-tipped wicks of the candles in the lanterns, which you then lift out with the hook, one by one, from the hat (Fig. 68).110
You leave the hat on your principal table.
“Have you chosen a card, sir, as I asked you? Keep it, please, and give me back the pack. Fix that card firmly in your memory, and when you feel that you know it thoroughly be kind enough to put it back in the middle of the pack."
This done, you make the pass, and palm off the chosen card. Hand the pack, without the chosen card, to one of the company, and ask him to shuffle. Meanwhile, in the act of taking the hat from the centre table, you let the palmed card fall therein; then place the hat on the little round table, take back the shuffled pack, place it by the side of the hat, and close the screen around all.
"Our invisible magician will now take the chosen card and put it in the hat." (You open the screen.) "Before I disturb anything, be good enough, if you please, to name the card which you
109 This may be done by means of a spirit-lamp, if no fire be available. The iron (which is a sort of button-
hook in a wooden handle), should be nearly red-hot. Of course the audience are not allowed to know that it is heated.-TRANS.
110 The candles, which are only about an inch in length, are prepared by pulling out the original wick, and
substituting in its place a wax vesta, point upwards. The application of the hot iron to this point causes it instantly to ignite.
The lanterns used are the ordinary paper expanding lanterns sold in the toy-shops, but with the wooden top and bottom removed, and a broad ring of tin substituted in each case. Eight of these, when closed, will occupy little more than an inch in height. By an ingenious arrangement the candle sockets are removed from the centre, and made to occupy different positions at the bottom of the lanterns, in such manner that when the set is put together for use, all the candles appear in a group within the upper ring of the top lantern, and can be lighted almost simultaneously. Each lantern has a folding wire bow across the top, by which to lift or suspend it.
In the trick as above described the production of the lanterns is made to follow rather too closely on their introduction into the hat. It would be far more effective to work the card trick first, and then to produce the lanterns. The interposition of the card trick would give the spectators time to forget that the hat had rested for a while on the larger table, and the appearance of the lanterns would be thus rendered doubly mysterious.-TRANS.
selected. The king of hearts, was it ?" You show that the king of hearts is in the hat, and no longer in the pack.
THE CARD-FRAME AND THE HALF-CROWN. ― "While I chance to have a pack of cards at hand, I will make use of them just once more; and this time I will give the spirit a rather more complicated task to perform."
You force a card (say, the eight of diamonds), have it replaced in the pack; make the pass, palm off the card, and invite some one to shuffle the pack, which you then change by some means or other111 for a mechanical pack in which you have beforehand placed four half-crowns. This is only a sham pack of cards, being in reality a mere box or case, with sides painted white and a card glued on the top and bottom, one face outwards, the other back outwards, so as to resemble a genuine pack. In the interior of this box is a hollow space to contain four half-crowns, which a clockwork train lets fall one by one at unequal intervals. A trap, masked by the design of the bottom card (which should be a court card) closes the hole through which the coins fall. This dummy pack you place on the little round table.
You then borrow four half-crowns, which you hold (as shown in Fig. 69) between the thumb and second and third fingers of the left hand; bring the right hand towards it as if to take the coins in that hand; but at the very moment the fingers reach them let them fall into the hollow of the left hand, while the right continues its movement, closing as though it contained the coins. This pass is known as the tourniquet.112
111 The precise manner of making the change must be governed by the conditions under which the
performer is exhibiting. In a general way it would be made during the transit from the spectators to the table.-TRANS.
112 See page 5. In the execution of this pass most performers pass the thumb of the right hand under the
coins in an upward and outward direction; but others, particularly among foreign conjurers, bring the hand over the coins with a downward swoop, as shown in the diagram, the thumb and fingers closing as they reach them.-TRANS.
Place yourself behind your (centre) table and open the right hand immediately over a china bowl (which must be placed there in readiness beforehand), as if letting fall the coins therein. Meanwhile, however, the left hand, which you hold rather lower, opens and lets the actual coins fall noisily into a similar bowl placed on the servante (Fig. 70). (These two movements, executed simultaneously, produce a complete illusion, the spectators being fully convinced that you have dropped the coins into the visible bowl on the table.)
You then place the empty bowl on the little table, beside the mechanical pack of cards. Next call the attention of the company to a little frame (known as the "enchanted card" frame) which is so arranged that, by turning it upside down, you cause a card, placed therein beforehand, to become visible.113 Show that there is (apparently) nothing in the frame, and place it upright on the little table, resting against the bowl, but with its back towards the spectators. In the act of so doing, you turn the frame over, so as to cause the gradual appearance of the card within, which should be similar to the one which you previously forced. (Fig. 71.)
113 This is a very ingenious little piece of apparatus. The glass in front is double, with a very narrow space
between, and with a reservoir, filled with fine sand, at top. When the frame is placed upright in what we will call its natural position, the sand runs down between the two glasses, and prevents the card behind from being seen. The presence of the sand tells no tales, for it has the appearance of grey paper. When the frame is turned upside down, the sand runs back again into its reservoir and the card is revealed. The piece of apparatus in question was used, and we believe invented, by the elder Bosco; but on his retirement was lost sight of until a few years since, when it was brought out afresh in a cheap form, and had a large sale. -TRANS.
Take a drinking-glass, and place it in like manner on the little table; then announce to the company that the spirit inhabiting this mystic nook will in the first place take the chosen card from the pack and place it in the frame, and will then take the coins in the bowl and drop them into the glass. You add, "He shall do it slowly, so that you may all hear the coins fall one by one into the glass; and in order to increase the difficulty of the task, I will cover the glass with this pack of cards." (Fig. 72.)
You suit the action to the word, and in so doing, start the mechanism which lets the coins fall. You close the screen, and after a few moments the first coin is heard to drop into the glass; and afterwards the three others in their turn. You then, after asking the person who drew the card to name it, open the screen, and show that all you promised has been fully carried out.
You must promptly exchange the dummy pack for the genuine one, and have this latter examined to prove that the eight of diamonds is no longer therein, but has really passed into the frame, which you open, taking out the card, so as to negative all idea of preparation.
THE SPIRIT PADLOCK. ― Make use of the padlock, described at page 138; have it locked by a spectator, hang it on an upright stand placed on the little round table; lay the key beside it, start the movement, and close the screen. After a pause of a few seconds, remove the screen, and show that the padlock is open.
"You will remember, ladies and gentlemen," you may remark, "that I told you beforehand that the
mise en scene I have adopted is purely imaginative; and that spiritualism has really nothing
whatever to do with the matter. I will give you a proof of my assertion by means of this very trick. My padlock needs no key to open it; my simple command is quite enough; and it was by