No. 25.—The Last Card.
No. 25.—The Last Card.
No. 25.—The Last Card.
From a pack of playing cards, take out the four aces, the four twos, the four threes and the four queens—sixteen cards in all. Note that men use the four kings instead of the queens.
Shuffle the sixteen cards and then spread them out on the table, face down. They should lie on the table in a mixed-up heap and not in an orderly pack.
To start, pick any card from the heap, turn it over, and then, according to its value, place it in its proper position, as indicated by the formation shown in the diagram. Suppose, for instance, that it is a two of hearts; then it fills the space of the bottom left-hand corner; or if it is the queen of diamonds, it goes in the second space of the third row.
When the first card is placed, pick at random a second card and put it in the position indicated for it in the diagram. Follow in the same way with all the other cards, from three to fifteen, but not with the sixteenth. This is the card which supplies your answer. If it is the queen (or king) of hearts, your answer will be "Certainly yes"; if it is the two of spades, it is "Certainly not." The other cards come between these two and supply answers varying from "yes" to "no." Their actual meanings are as follows:—
1.—QUEEN OF HEARTS.—Certainly yes.2.—ACE OF HEARTS.—Yes.3.—THREE OF HEARTS.—Probably yes.4.—TWO OF HEARTS.—A likelihood of yes.5.—QUEEN OF CLUBS.—It may be yes.6.—ACE OF CLUBS.—It is hopeful.7.—THREE OF CLUBS.—If you are lucky, it will be yes.8.—TWO OF CLUBS.—It is fifty-fifty.9.—QUEEN OF DIAMONDS.—The chances are equal.10.—ACE OF DIAMONDS.—If you are unlucky, it will be no.11.—THREE OF DIAMONDS.—It is not hopeful.12.—TWO OF DIAMONDS.—It may be no.13.—QUEEN OF SPADES.—There is a likelihood of no.14.—ACE OF SPADES.—Probably no.15.—THREE OF SPADES.—No.16.—TWO OF SPADES.—Certainly no.
1.—QUEEN OF HEARTS.—Certainly yes.
2.—ACE OF HEARTS.—Yes.
3.—THREE OF HEARTS.—Probably yes.
4.—TWO OF HEARTS.—A likelihood of yes.
5.—QUEEN OF CLUBS.—It may be yes.
6.—ACE OF CLUBS.—It is hopeful.
7.—THREE OF CLUBS.—If you are lucky, it will be yes.
8.—TWO OF CLUBS.—It is fifty-fifty.
9.—QUEEN OF DIAMONDS.—The chances are equal.
10.—ACE OF DIAMONDS.—If you are unlucky, it will be no.
11.—THREE OF DIAMONDS.—It is not hopeful.
12.—TWO OF DIAMONDS.—It may be no.
13.—QUEEN OF SPADES.—There is a likelihood of no.
14.—ACE OF SPADES.—Probably no.
15.—THREE OF SPADES.—No.
16.—TWO OF SPADES.—Certainly no.
Be very careful to decide the question before the cards are touched.
Madame Lenormand, one of the most celebrated fortunetellers who has ever lived, had a method of divining people's futures by means of cards which we describe here.
No. 26.—Madame Lenormand's "Lay-Out."
No. 26.—Madame Lenormand's "Lay-Out."
No. 26.—Madame Lenormand's "Lay-Out."
First, she decided on her client's matching card, in the way explained elsewhere in this chapter, and placed it on the table in the position marked 1, in the diagram.
Next, she took the four aces, twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes from a pack, giving twenty-four cards, and allowed her client to shuffle them, which was followed by the same person cutting them with the left hand.
Then Madame took the cards and arranged them around the matching card in the order shown in the diagram. The layout completed, she looked at the various cards and gathered information from their positions.
It would be impossible for any ordinary person to derive as much information from them as she did, but we can follow the chief lines of her thoughts.
This is how she reasoned:
My client assumes the central position, and around her are positions 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Now what cards fill these stations? If there is an abundance of hearts, then friends surround her; if there is an abundance of spades, then enemies encompass her. If there are clubs or diamonds, then just ordinary people are flocking to her side.
It will be seen that Madame gave little consideration to the clubs or diamonds, though she naturally preferred the former, and made her calculations largely on the positions of the hearts and spades. Broadly speaking, the nearer the hearts pressed around the matching card, the better were the fortunes of her client, the farther away were the hearts, the worse were the client's fortunes.
Then, she considered an ace to have a stronger force than a two, and a two a stronger force than a three, and the six weakest of all. Thus an ace of hearts could more than neutralize the evil influences of a six of spades; but an ace of spades would be more than a match for the six of hearts.
We advise you to follow Madame Lenormand's method and see how the cards dispose themselves in your favor.
Many people who play games of patience a good deal are convinced that, if they are able to bring three different forms of patience to a successful conclusion on the same day, they only have to wish for something and the wish will be granted to them.
The particular games they play are known as "Tens," "Demon" and "the Idiot's Delight."
It must be understood that there is no necessity to be successful on the first trial of each of the games. Such a thing is almost impossible. What these devotees do is to go on playing until they bring out, say, the "Tens," and then they turn to either of the other two and work at it. Should they be so lucky as to get out all the three, then they formulate their wish and wait for it to come true.
In case some readers do not know how to play these fascinating games, we will proceed to explain them.
TENS.—For this, two full packs are required. The cards are well shuffled and then a row of ten cards is dealt out on the table, face down. This done, another row of ten cards is laid out, also face down. Next, a third row is set out, but this time the cards are placed face up.
The player looks at the ten face cards and throws out any aces. Then he builds up suits, as far as he can, by resting a card of opposite color, and of one degree lower in value, on some other card. Thus, a red goes on a black, a black on a red, a queen on a king, a two on a three, and so on. When the shifting of cards causes a file to have no face card in it, then the uppermost non-face card may be turned over, ready for being used.
As soon as all the possible movements have been effected, a fresh set of ten cards is dealt out, one being placed on each file. The movements are recommenced. Note that not only can one suitable card be placed on another, but partial runs of cards may be so moved, as long as there is no brokensequence in them. Thus, a black two, a red three, a black four and a red five may be lifted in one operation on to a black six; but a red three, a black four, a black five may not be put on a red six. It is possible, however, to lift the red three and black four on to a red five, if such a card is available.
Should a file become quite empty, with not even face-down cards in it, then it is possible to fill it with a king and any proper following sequence, should such a one be within reach in any other file. The use of this movement becomes apparent after a few games have been played.
When the second lot of ten face cards has been dealt with, a third ten is set out, and other lots of ten are dealt in the same way, until the double pack, in hand, is exhausted.
The aim of the game is to have no cards left in the lay-out, and this is obtained by building up sequences from "king" to "two" and, as soon as one of these complete sequences is formed, it is removed from the game.
If, when all the two packs have been dealt out and all the possible movements of cards made, there are broken sequences left, then the game has failed and it is finished.
In order to make the explanation absolutely clear, a diagram is given on this and the opposite page. It shows how the cards should be set on the table before any play is commenced. Naturally, the choice of the face cards is arbitrary. This is how the movements will be made:
First, the ace of hearts is thrown aside and the card behind it is turned up. Then, the six of clubs (black) is placed on the seven of diamonds (red) and the five of hearts (red) is put on the six of clubs. The card immediately behind the six and, also, the one behind the five are turned face up. Next, the three of diamonds (red) is put on the four of clubs (black), and the card behind the three is turned up. But the four and the three can go on the five of hearts. So the card below the four is turned. In addition, the cards turned up by the movements of those mentioned may help to continue the sequences.
No. 27.—The "Lay-Out" for Tens.
No. 27.—The "Lay-Out" for Tens.
No. 27.—The "Lay-Out" for Tens.
No. 28.—See Opposite.
No. 28.—See Opposite.
No. 28.—See Opposite.
DEMON.—For this game, one pack of cards is required. After it has been thoroughly shuffled, four cards are placed in line, face up, and then thirteen cards are dealt, face down, in a stack. Some people call this stackthe rubbish heap. Next, one card is turned up: it is known as the formation card.
Before any more is done, the four cards placed in line are examined. Should one of them be of the opposite color to another, and of one degree lower in value, it is put on the higher card. Thus, a red ten goes on a black jack and a black queen on a red king, and so on. If at this point, or at any subsequent time in the game, one of the four files, originally formed by the four cards first set down, becomes vacant, then it is filled by taking a card from the rubbish heap.
Now, let us think of the formation card. Naturally, there are three more of the same value in the pack. Whenever any of these three are discovered, they are placed beside the original formation card. The game is to get out the four formation cards and to build up on them in their proper sequence and in the same suit. Any card uncovered in the play, in building up the alternate sequences on the original files, or turned up from the rubbish heap, may be used for the purpose.
When the lay-out has been arranged, the cards in hand are turned over in threes and used for file sequences or formation building. On reaching the end of the pack in hand, it is picked up and turned over in threes again. And this is continued as often as any cards may be used from the pack. When no more cards can be used, there is no point in turning over the threes any more and the game ceases. If the four formation cards have been found and built up with the twelve subsequent cards following them, the game has been successful; but when this is impossible the game has failed.
Note that in a case where the formation card is, say, a six, it is built upon in the following order: seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, ace, two, three, four and five.
THE IDIOT'S DELIGHT.—Here, again, one pack is needed. First, a line of nine cards is laid out, face up; followed by a line of eight cards; then one of seven, and others of six, five, four, three, two and one card. This gives the formation shown in the diagram.
The aim of the player is to get out the four aces and to build upon them, in proper order and the same suits, until the kings are reached. If this is managed, the game is a success: if not, a failure.
At the outset, the only cards that can be moved or used in any way are those shown black in the diagram. They are moved according to the following plan: a black six goes on a red seven, a red queen on a black king, and so on. Any number of cards can be placed one on top of the other, if moved one at a time, but it is not allowable to move a stack of two or more cards, except to place it in one of the top nine spaces, and then only when one of these spaces becomes vacant.
No. 29.—The "Lay-Out" for The Idiot's Delight.
No. 29.—The "Lay-Out" for The Idiot's Delight.
No. 29.—The "Lay-Out" for The Idiot's Delight.
Two points remain for explanation:
(1) When one of the cards, shown black in the diagram, is moved, the card above it comes into play and can be moved.
(2) The "lay-out" does not take all the fifty-two cards. There are seven over. These can be used for making up sequences as and when desired.
Now, if you can get these three games to work out successfully and do them the same day, not necessarily the first time you try, frame your wish, a reasonable one, of course, and await the issue with confidence.