Note K — Chapter XIII · The Cups and Balls.

The reader will understand that nobody has in fact made any such observation, but the overhearing of an imaginary objection is often of great use, as enabling the performer to do some necessary act, which he could not well have done without such pretext. Thus in this instance, the performer wants a plausible excuse—first, for altering his apparent intention of immediately producing a second ball from the wand; and, secondly, for lifting the middle cup, and so regaining possession of the ball. A conjuror thus addressing an imaginary objector is said in French “parler à la cantonade,” but the phrase has no precise equivalent among English performers.