This plot, popularized by Vernon, dates back at least to 1740, when it appeared in Gilles-Edme Guyot's Nouvelles Récréations, Physiques et Mathématiques. There, someone was asked to think of any one of four random cards. The performer then shuffled the four cards into the deck, actually arranging two at the top and two at the bottom. The spectator was shown a group of cards from the bottom and asked if he saw his among them. His answer narrowed the possibilities for the performer from four to two. One of the two possible cards was next shown. If that card was the selection, the trick was successfully concluded. If it was not, the card was switched, through the glide, for the selection, and the card was shown to have changed.