Ladies’ Looking Glass

This fanciful title was given to the feat by its inventor, Comte, a famous French magician who flourished in the early years of the nineteenth century. The trick is one of the great card tricks, and we have retained the title but somewhat modified the procedure.

Four spectators each remove a pair of cards from the deck, which are then replaced and the deck shuffled. Three of the pairs appear in rapid succession at the top and bottom of the deck, and the magician tosses the cards into the air and catches the last pair at the tips of his fingers.

Requirements. A deck of cards and eight duplicate cards. Since these cards must be memorized, it is well to take eight cards of some known arrangement, for example, the first eight cards of the Nikola system. These are: Six of diamonds Five of clubs King of clubs Jack of hearts Five of spades Nine of diamonds Nine of spades Queen of hearts

Place these eight cards on the top of the deck in that order. Take any indifferent card from the deck, place it on top of the duplicate set of eight cards–which are in the same order–and place the packet of nine cards in your right trousers pocket, with the backs outermost.

Procedure. Present the trick as follows:

1. "Many years ago," you begin, "when I was a boy, I saw a famous magician do a feat with cards which was so extraordinary that I have puzzled over it ever since and have never been able to find a solution to it. I shall show you what he did, and perhaps some of you may be able to suggest an answer to the problem.

2. "First, he had a number of cards taken." Take the deck, shuffle overhand, using the lift shuffle and retaining the arranged cards at the top. "Since it makes no difference what cards are taken, will you, sir," addressing someone on your right, "just call 'Stop' whenever you please as I shuffle the cards." Begin the lift shuffle, and at the word "Stop" drop the controlled packet on to the cards in your left hand. Hold this hand out to the spectator and have him take the card stopped at. "Do you think you can remember two cards? Very well, take the next as well." Address another person on his right and have him take the next two cards.

3. Place the cards in your right hand underneath those in your left, begin another lift shuffle, and ask a third person to the right of the second to call "Stop" in the same way. Have him take the two top cards of the left-hand packet, and have a fourth person take the next pair. This is the easiest, quickest, and most convincing way of forcing a number of cards. "Please remember your cards. Show them to those near you so that there can be no mistake."

4. "This done, the old master handed the deck to the first person, asking him to replace his cards, shuffle the deck, and hand it on to the next person, who did the same thing. In this way all the cards were replaced and each person shuffled the deck. Will you do that?" Hand the deck to the first person.

While the cards are being thus shuffled into the deck, casually place both hands in your trousers pockets, palm the nine cards in your right hand, and relax.

5. When the fourth person, who will be well on your left, bas replaced his cards and shuffled the deck, go to him, hold out your left hand palm upwards, and with your right hand pull up your left sleeve a little, keeping the hand on your left forearm. "Will you place the deck on my left hand? Thank you. You have shuffled freely, now I want you to make a free cut." When he has lifted off a portion of the deck, take the remainder in your right hand, adding the palmed cards, then take the cut from him with your left hand and place it below, thus completing the cut. Place the pack face downwards on your left hand and hold it there in full view.

6. "A number of freely selected cards have been replaced in the deck, each of you has shuffled it, and finally the deck has been cut freely. It would be entirely possible for one of the selected cards to find its way to the top or bottom." Lift the deck with the right hand, with the thumb at one end and the fingers at the other, and show the bottom card. If by chance it is a card someone has selected, simply remove it and thrust it into the middle of the deck. Lift the top card, show it, and ask, "Did anyone draw this card?" Since this is the indifferent card you have added to the deck, nobody will claim it. Slip the left little finger tip under the top card of the deck and replace the card on top. Square the deck, palm the two cards in your right hand, and take the deck in that hand by the extreme right corners between the thumb and the forefinger only (Fig. 117), bending the other fingers well into the palm.

7. "Now here is the mystery. The old master simply placed the deck on his left hand, so." As you do so, reach out with the left fingers and draw the two palmed cards to the bottom of the deck, thus bringing the first pair of cards to the top and the bottom. The action takes a moment and is covered by the right hand. "Then by simply shaking the cards, so–" (move the left hand up and down slightly) "– he made the first pair of cards appear, one on the top and the other on the bottom. An absolute impossibility, but just for the fun of it I'll try. Will you, sir–" (addressing the first spectator) "–kindly name your two cards? The six of diamonds and the five of clubs. I have tried this hundreds of times and never succeeded." Shake the pack, raise the inner end of the top card, and shake your head. "It never comes right with me. Just once more." Shake the deck again, lift the inner end, and exclaim, "A miracle!" Lift the pack by the ends with your right hand and hold it with the face card, the six of diamonds, facing the audience,

Pause a moment, then replace the pack on your left hand, shake it, and lift off the top card, the five of clubs. "Incredible! I can hardly believe it, but there it is!"

Slip the left little finger tip under the top card as before, replace the five of clubs on top, and palm the two top cards. Take the pack in your right hand by the extreme top right corners and look at the bottom card. "Yes, they are both there." Replace the pack on your left hand and pull the two palmed cards to the bottom as before, thus bringing the second pair to the top and bottom of the deck.

8. Address the second spectator, "What were your cards? The king of clubs and the jack of hearts. We can hardly expect to succeed again, but this seems to be my good night." Shake the deck and lift it to show the bottom card, the king of clubs. "There it is! Now for the jack of hearts." Another little shake and you lift off the top card, showing the jack of hearts.

Replace this card on top and repeat exactly the same moves to bring the next pair, the five of spades and the nine of diamonds, to the bottom and the top.

9. Proceed in the same manner to show these two cards, keeping up the same attitude of bewilderment at your success. After showing the third pair, bring the last pair to the bottom and top as before, and lay the deck on the table as if the feat were finished, shaking your head and saying, "I simply cannot understand it." The fourth spectator will remind you that there is still another pair of cards to be discovered.

10. Apologize, saying that you have been so astounded at your success with the other pairs that you forgot all about his cards. "The spell is broken, I'm afraid," you continue. "You see I have put the deck out of my hands, and it would be impossible to find your cards in the same way. I'll have to try another method for discovering them…. Ah, yes. Just let me touch my fingers to yours" (rub the tips of your right fingers on the tips of his).

Pick up the deck in your right hand, pressing it well into the fork of the thumb. Grip it firmly, with the thumb on the top card and the fingers on the bottom card. "I'll toss the whole pack into the air and I'll try to catch your two cards!"

Strike an attitude, your right side toward the spectators. Make a few preliminary up-and-down movements with your right arm, then with a sharp upward jerk let all the cards except the top and bottom ones fly upward a foot or so. Instantly close your thumb and fingers on the two cards retained in your right hand and with the same hand strike the pack in the air, scattering the rest of the cards in all directions. Slide the two cards apart, insert the forefinger between them, and grip the lower one between it and the thumb. Move the middle finger on to the face of the upper card and grip it against the ring finger, then separate the cards as far as possible (Fig. 118).

Hold the pose for a few moments, keeping the backs of the two cards outwards. "Please name your cards," you say to the spectator. "The nine of spades and the queen of hearts," he replies. Slowly turn the two cards face outwards, take one in each hand, and display them.

The discoveries of the cards, and especially that of the last two, must be done dramatically. When well acted, this feat will be remembered and talked about long after other card tricks are forgotten.