_The Young Man_ (_clearing his throat and pointedly addressing a group of torpid tourists on the centre seats_). Ladies _and_ gentlemen, with your very kind permission, I will now endeavour to amuse you by exhibiting a few simple feats of ledger de mang to which I invite your closest attention (_the persons addressed instantly assume an air of uneasy abstraction_), as I find that the more carefully my audience watches my proceedings the less able they are to detect the manner in which the trick is performed.... I 'ave 'ere, ladies and gentlemen, a gingerbeer bottle, just a plain stone gingerbeer bottle of a pattern no doubt familiar to you all. (_He produces it, and it appears to be generally unpopular, as if it called up reminiscences of revelry which some would willingly forget._) I will now pass it around in order that you may satisfy yourselves that it is what it appears to be. (_To a_ Somnolent Excursionist _in a corner._) Will you oblige me, Sir, by kindly taking it in your 'and? _The Somnolent Excursionist_ (_who seems to be under the impression that he is being offered refreshment_). Eh? gingerbeer? No, thanky, never take it. [_He closes his eyes again._ _The Y. M._ (_to a_ Grumpy Excursionist _on a campstool_). Perhaps, Sir, you will oblige me by examining this bottle. _The Grumpy Excursionist_ (_wrathfully_). Hang it all, Sir, do you suppose _I_'m any judge of gingerbeer bottles; take the beastly thing away! _The Y. M._ (_cast down, but undeterred_). Well, you are all satisfied that it _is_ an ordinary earthenware bottle. Now I take this tin case--made, as you perceive, in two parts to fit closely round the bottle. I will just give you an opportunity of 'andling the case so that you may convince yourselves of its being perfectly empty. (_He proffers it for inspection, but everybody seems willing to take it on trust._) I enclose the bottle in the case--so--I make one or two passes--hey, presto--and, on opening the case, the bottle will be found to have vanished. (_It has--but nobody appears to regret its disappearance._) I close the case, which you all saw to be empty, once more, and what do I find it contain! (_He pulls out yard after yard of coloured ribbon, which falls absolutely flat, but if the tin case had emitted a column of smoke and a genuine Arabian djinn, it would probably fail just now to produce any deep impression._) I shall next produce a pack of ordinary playing cards, from which I will ask you, Sir, to be good enough to select a card, without letting me see it or mentioning which it is (_to the_ Grumpy Excursionist, _who brushes him away irritably as he would a bluebottle_). Madam, will you kindly----? (_to the_ Stout Lady, _who turns a shawled shoulder and feebly requests him "Not to come bothering_ her"). Perhaps _you_, Sir----? (_to a_ Cadaverous Tourist, _who intimates that he "never encourages cardplaying under any form"_). Thank you _very_ much (_to a_ Rubicund