manner of the most pleasing novels and romances,--namely, by a
method of contriving innocent and interesting amusement with cards,
without the 'chance' of encountering the risks, calamities, and disgrace
of gambling.

I was led to the investigation of this branch of my subject by the
following incident. Being present at a party when a gentleman performed
one of the tricks described, No. 7, the rest of the company and myself
were all much surprised at the result, and urgently requested him
to explain the method of his performance, which, however, he stoutly
refused to do, averring that he would not take L1000 for it. This was
so ridiculously provoking that I offered to bet him L5 that I would
discover the method within 24 hours. To my astonishment he declined the
bet, not, however, without a sort of compliment, admitting that I MIGHT
do so. He was right; for, as Edgar Poe averred, no man can invent a
puzzle which some other man cannot unravel. In effect, I called upon
him the following day, and performed the trick not only according to
his method, but also by another, equally successful. I have reason
to believe that most of the tricks of my selection had not previously
appeared in print; at any rate, I have given to all of them an
exposition which may entitle them to some claim of originality.

PRELIMINARY HINTS.

I. Shuffling, in the simple and inoffensive sense of the expression, is
an important point in all tricks with cards. For the most part, it is
only a pretence or dexterous management--keeping a card or cards in your
command whilst seeming to shuffle them into the pack.

Every performer has his method of such shuffling. Some hold the pack
perpendicularly with the left hand, then with the right take a portion
of the pack--about one half--and make a show of shuffling the two parts
together edgeways, but, in reality, replace them as they were. With
rapidity of execution every eye is thus deceived.

If a single card is to be held in command, place it at the bottom of the
pack, which you hold in your left, and then, with your right thumb
and middle finger, raise and throw successively portions of the pack,
leaving the bottom card in contact with the fingers of the left hand.

With dexterity, any portion of the pack may be shuffled, leaving
the remainder just as it was, by separating it during the process
by inserting one or more fingers of the left hand between it and the
portions shuffled.

II. Cutting--not