“Whatdoyoumakeofit,Holmes?”
“Itisobviouslyanattempttoconveysecretinformation.”
“Butwhatistheuseofaciphermessagewithoutthecipher?”
“Inthisinstance,noneatall.”
“Whydoyousay'inthisinstance'?”
“BecausetherearemanycipherswhichIwouldreadaseasilyasIdotheapocryphaoftheagonycolumn:suchcrudedevicesamusetheintelligencewithoutfatiguingit.Butthisisdifferent.Itisclearlyareferencetothewordsinapageofsomebook.UntilIamtoldwhichpageandwhichbookIampowerless.”
“Butwhy'Douglas'and'Birlstone'?”
“Clearlybecausethosearewordswhichwerenotcontainedinthepageinquestion.”
“Thenwhyhashenotindicatedthebook?”
“Yournativeshrewdness,mydearWatson,thatinnatecunningwhichisthedelightofyourfriends,wouldsurelypreventyoufrominclosingcipherandmessageinthesameenvelope.Shoulditmiscarry,youareundone.Asitis,bothhavetogowrongbeforeanyharmcomesfromit.Oursecondpostisnowoverdue,andIshallbesurprisedifitdoesnotbringuseitherafurtherletterofexplanation,or,asismoreprobable,theveryvolumetowhichthesefiguresrefer.”
Holmes'scalculationwasfulfilledwithinaveryfewminutesbytheappearanceofBilly,thepage,withtheveryletterwhichwewereexpecting.
“Thesamewriting,”remarkedHolmes,asheopenedtheenvelope,“andactuallysigned,”headdedinanexultantvoiceasheunfoldedtheepistle.“Come,wearegettingon,Watson.”Hisbrowclouded,however,asheglancedoverthecontents.
“Dearme,thisisverydisappointing!Ifear,Watson,thatallourexpectationscometonothing.ItrustthatthemanPorlockwillcometonoharm.
“DEARMR.HOLMES[hesays]:
“Iwillgonofurtherinthismatter.Itistoodangerous—hesuspectsme.Icanseethathesuspectsme.HecametomequiteunexpectedlyafterIhadactuallyaddressedthisenvelopewiththeintentionofsendingyouthekeytothecipher.Iwasabletocoveritup.Ifhehadseenit,itwouldhavegonehardwithme.ButIreadsuspicio