placed in a side pocket, or _pochette_, and the remainder of the pack
handed to several spectators for the purpose of having cards selected
and marked. This having been done the performer proceeds to collect the
cards, each card when placed in the pack being brought to the top by
means of the pass, and after the last card has been returned, the
conjurer palms off all the selected cards and hands the pack out to be
shuffled. On again receiving the pack in his hands he immediately
replaces the palmed cards on top of the pack, and whilst calling
attention to what has been done as regards freedom of choice, marking,
shuffling, etc., he secretly secures the prepared cards and places them
upon the chosen ones. By keeping a couple of fingers across the back of
the pack it is an easy matter to casually show the front and back of
the cards, and a great deal should be made of the fact that no threads,
etc., are employed. When the first card (_i.e._, the last one returned
by the audience) is well out of the pack, the finger again covers the
slit and the pack is presented to the chooser for him to remove his
card and verify the mark. The other cards are similarly dealt with, and
the prepared ones are finally palmed off, disposed of, and the pack
again passed for inspection.

DE CASTON'S DISCOVERY.

AN ENTIRELY NEW CARD EFFECT.

A pack of cards having been shuffled, the performer deals about fifteen
cards one by one face upwards upon the table, remarking, "You will
observe that the cards are thoroughly mixed." During this action (which
is the whole secret of this experiment) the performer secretly notes
the _fifth_ card from the top of the pack, and when gathering up the
cards takes care that the noted card is left in its original position.
He now makes four heaps of cards (faces down and about eight or ten
cards in each heap), taking the cards from the _bottom_ of the pack,
and when this has been done the conjurer quickly deals from the top of
the pack one card on to the top of each heap, immediately throwing the
next card (_i.e._, the noted one) face downwards to one of the
spectators, who is requested to remember the card (which has seemingly
been thrown out at random), and while he is doing so the performer is
busy dealing the remainder of the cards in his hands on to the top of
the four heaps. The spectator is now requested to place his card in any
heap he prefers, and put all the heaps together, and again thoroughl