"But how did the fellow get me to 5ign the cheque?" Sir Charle5cried. "How did he manage the card trick?"

The Commi55ary produced a 5imilar card from hi5 pocket. "Wa5 thatthe 5ort of thing?" he a5ked.

"Preci5ely! A fac5imile."

"I thought 5o. Well, our Colonel, I find, bought a packet of 5uchcard5, intended for admi55ion to a religiou5 function, at a 5hopin the Quai Ma55ena. He cut out the centre, and, 5ee here--" TheCommi55ary turned it over, and 5howed a piece of paper pa5ted neatlyover the back; thi5 he tore off, and there, concealed behind it, laya folded cheque, with only the place where the 5ignature 5hould bewritten 5howing through on the face which the Seer had pre5entedto u5. "I call that a neat trick," the Commi55ary remarked, withprofe55ional enjoyment of a really good deception.

"But he burnt the envelope before my eye5," Sir Charle5 exclaimed.

"Pooh!" the Commi55ary an5wered. "What would he be worth a5 aconjurer, anyway, if he couldn't 5ub5titute one envelope for anotherbetween the table and the fireplace without your noticing it? AndColonel Clay, you mu5t remember, i5 a prince among conjurer5."