<h2>CHAPTER XXIII</h2>
<p><span class="smcap">Crewe</span> went to the table and picked up the plan.</p>
<p>"My first impression was that the circle of figures
represented some form of letters of the alphabet arranged
on what is called the cardboard or trellis cipher,
in which a message is concealed by altering the places
of the letters without changing their powers. Such
messages are generally written after the Chinese
fashion—upwards and downwards—but there is no reason
why a circle should not be used to conceal the message.
In this case I did not expect to find a message hidden in
the circle, but rather, the key to the solution of the
letters above the circle, which, I was convinced, formed
the real cryptogram.</p>
<p>"The recurring T's and M's in the top line seemed
to indicate that it was some form of changed letter
cipher, complicated by having to be read in connection
with the figures in the circle, which represented other
letters of the alphabet. The numbers, representing an
ascending series from 6 to 89, with one recurring
6, suggested the possibility of this form of cryptogram
having been used. The numbers in the
centre suggested a sum, which, when done, would
throw some light on the arithmetical puzzle in the
centre of the circle by division, subtraction, or multiplication.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"I worked for a solution on these lines for some
time, but ultimately came to the conclusion that the
solution did not lie within them. I am not an arithmetician,
but my calculations told me enough to make
me realize that I was on the wrong track.</p>
<p>"I next attempted to ascertain if the two mysterious
messages—the lines on the top and the circle of
figures—were two separate messages read independently
of one another. I did not think they were, but
I determined to put it to the test. Obviously, if they
were, the top line was merely a changed letter cipher,
and nothing more. These are usually easy to decipher
because of the frequency with which certain letters
recur. In English the letter that occurs oftenest is
E, then T, then A, O, N, I, then R, S, H; the others
in lessening frequency down to J and Z, which are the
least used letters in the English alphabet. The recurring
letters in our cryptogram are T's and M's. Using
these as a basis to give me the key, I tried all likely
combinations on the changed letter basis, but without
success.</p>
<p>"I came back to my original idea that the figures
in the circle were the solvent of the line of letters
above, and concentrated my efforts in attempting to
discover their meaning. I finally came to the conclusion
that the figures represented the pages or lines of
some book."</p>
<p>"Like the cryptograms I used to solve when I was
at school," suggested Marsland, with a smile.</p>
<p>"Rather more difficult than that. In that form of
cryptogram rows of figures are turned into words once
you hit on the right book. This cryptogram is much
more ingenious, for it consists of three parts—a line<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</SPAN></span>
of meaningless letters and a circle of equally meaningless
figures, with other figures within it, and some plain
English verses of Scripture, the whole probably interdependent.
If the circle of figures represented some
book necessary to the solution of the whole cryptogram,
the first thing to find out was the book from
which the figures had been taken. I had not much
difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that this book
was a large brass-bound family Bible I saw at Cliff
Farm."</p>
<p>"I suppose the texts on the bottom of the sheet suggested
that idea to you?" said Marsland.</p>
<p>Crewe shook his head.</p>
<p>"I've learnt to mistrust guesswork," he said. "It
would be a jump at random to come to the conclusion
that the cryptogram had been drawn on the fly-leaf of
a Bible because it contained some Scripture texts.
There is no connection between the facts. In fact, it
seemed unlikely to me at first that a religious man like
the old farmer would have mutilated his family Bible
for such a purpose. I was inclined to the view that
he had taken a fly-leaf from one of his <i>Leisure Hour</i>
bound volumes, which at the farm range from 1860
to the early seventies—a period of years when this
kind of glossy thick paper was much used for fly-leaves
by English printers. But while I was examining the
sheet through the magnifying glass I detected this
mark on the edge, which proved conclusively to me
that the cryptogram had been drawn on the fly-leaf of
the family Bible. Have a look at it through the glass—you
cannot detect it with the naked eye."</p>
<p>Crewe held the sheet edgeways as he spoke, and
pointed to one of the outer corners. Marsland gazed<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</SPAN></span>
intently through the glass, and was able to detect a
minute glittering spot not much larger than a pin's
point.</p>
<p>"I see it," he said, relinquishing the glass. "But I
do not understand what it means."</p>
<p>"It is Dutch metal or gold-leaf. The book from
which this sheet was cut was gilt-edged. That disposes
of the volumes of <i>Leisure Hour</i> and other bound
periodicals, none of which is gilt-edged. When I
was looking at the books at the farm I noticed only
two with gilt-edged leaves. One was the big family
Bible, and the other was a large, old fashioned
<i>Language of Flowers</i>. But this sheet could not have
been cut from <i>The Language of Flowers</i>."</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"Because it has two rounded corners. As a rule,
only sacred books and poetry are bound with rounded
corners. In any case, I remember that <i>The Language
of Flowers</i> at the farm is square-edged. Therefore
the sheet on which the cryptogram has been drawn was
cut from the Bible.</p>
<p>"The next question that faced me was how the numbers
had been used: they did not represent the numbers
of the pages, I was sure of that. The Bible is a book
in which figures are used freely in the arrangement
of the contents. The pages are numbered, the chapters
are divided into verses which are numbered, and
there is a numbered table of contents at the beginning
of each chapter. Obviously, the Bible is an excellent
book from which to devise a cryptogram of numbers
owing to the multiplicity of figures used in it and the
variety of ways in which they are arranged. I found
both a Bible and Prayer Book in the bookshelves, here,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</SPAN></span>
and set to work to study the numerical arrangement
of the chapters, the divisions of the verses, and the
arrangement of figures at the head of the chapters."</p>
<p>"It was while I was thus engaged that I remembered
that at the beginning of the authorised version of
the Bible is inserted a table of the books of the Old and
New Testaments, the pages on which they begin, and
the number of chapters in each. Here was
the possibility of a starting-point, sufficiently unusual
to make a good concealment, yet not too remote.
I turned to the table, and, on running my
eye down it, I saw that the Psalms, and the Psalms
alone, contain 150 chapters. Now, the first line
of central figures in the cryptogram is 150. I was
really fortunate in starting off with this discovery, because
otherwise I might have been led off the track by
the doubling and trebling of the 3 in the second line of
central figures, and have wasted time trying to fathom
some mystic interpretation of the 9—a numeral which
has always had a special significance for humanity: the
Nine Muses, the Nine Worthies, 'dressed up to the
nines,' and so on. But with 150 as the indication that
the cryptogram had been composed from the Book of
Psalms, it was obvious that the next line of numerals
in the centre directed attention to some particular portion
of them. As there are not 396 verses in any chapter
of the Psalms——"</p>
<p>"Just what I was going to point out," broke in Marsland.</p>
<p>"Quite so. But it was possible that 396 meant Psalm
39, 6. Therefore I turned to the thirty-ninth Psalm.
Verse six of that Psalm reads:</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"'Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely
they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather.'"</p>
<p>"Appropriate enough," commented Marsland.</p>
<p>"There remained the final 6, under the 396, to be
explained, before I was able to start on the table which
had been used to build up the cryptogram. The fact
that the figures in the outside circle start at 6 indicated
that there was some connection between it and the
inner 6. I came to the conclusion that the inner 6
meant one of two things: either the designer preferred
to start from the number 6 because he thought the
figure 1 was too clear an indication of the commencement
of his cryptogram, or else he made his start from
the sixth letter of the text. I thought the former the
likelier solution, but I tried them both, to make sure.
The first five figures on the latter solution gave me a
recurring Y, which indicated that I was on the wrong
track because it was essential there should be no recurring
letters. There are no recurring letters in the
other key, as the table shows:</p>
<div class="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="code">
<tr><td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">7</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">10</td>
<td align="center">11</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">12</td>
<td align="center">13</td>
<td align="center">14</td>
<td align="center">15</td>
<td align="center">16</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">17</td>
<td align="center">18</td>
<td align="center">19</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">S</td>
<td align="center">u</td>
<td align="center">r</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">l</td>
<td align="center">y</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">v</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">r</td>
<td align="center">y</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">m</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">7</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">10</td>
<td align="center">11</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">12</td>
<td align="center">13</td>
<td align="center">14</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">20</td>
<td align="center">21</td>
<td align="center">22</td>
<td align="center">23</td>
<td align="center">24</td>
<td align="center">25</td>
<td align="center">26</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">27</td>
<td align="center">28</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">30</td>
<td align="center">31</td>
<td align="center">32</td>
<td align="center">33</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">w</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">l</td>
<td align="center">k</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">v</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">15</td>
<td align="center">16</td>
<td align="center">17</td>
<td align="center">18</td>
<td align="center">19</td>
<td align="center">20</td>
<td align="center">21</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">22</td>
<td align="center">23</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">24</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">25</td>
<td align="center">26</td>
<td align="center">27</td>
<td align="center">28</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">34</td>
<td align="center">35</td>
<td align="center">36</td>
<td align="center">37</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">38</td>
<td align="center">39</td>
<td align="center">40</td>
<td align="center">41</td>
<td align="center">42</td>
<td align="center">43</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">44</td>
<td align="center">45</td>
<td align="center">46</td>
<td align="center">47</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">s</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">w:</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">s</td>
<td align="center">u</td>
<td align="center">r</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">l</td>
<td align="center">y</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">y</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center">30</td>
<td align="center">31</td>
<td align="center">32</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">33</td>
<td align="center">34</td>
<td align="center">35</td>
<td align="center">36</td>
<td align="center">37</td>
<td align="center">38</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">39</td>
<td align="center">40</td>
<td align="center">41</td>
<td align="center">42</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">48</td>
<td align="center">49</td>
<td align="center">50</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">51</td>
<td align="center">52</td>
<td align="center">53</td>
<td align="center">54</td>
<td align="center">55</td>
<td align="center">56</td>
<td align="center">57</td>
<td align="center">58</td>
<td align="center">59</td>
<td align="center">60</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center">62</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">r</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">d</td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">s</td>
<td align="center">q</td>
<td align="center">u</td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">d</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">43</td>
<td align="center">44</td>
<td align="center">45</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">46</td>
<td align="center">47</td>
<td align="center">48</td>
<td align="center">49</td>
<td align="center">50</td>
<td align="center">51</td>
<td align="center">52</td>
<td align="center">53</td>
<td align="center">54</td>
<td align="center">55</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">56</td>
<td align="center">57<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</SPAN></span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center">64</td>
<td align="center">65</td>
<td align="center">66</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">67</td>
<td align="center">68</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">69</td>
<td align="center">70</td>
<td align="center">71</td>
<td align="center">72</td>
<td align="center">73</td>
<td align="center">74</td>
<td align="center">75</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">v</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">n:</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">p</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">58</td>
<td align="center">59</td>
<td align="center">60</td>
<td align="center">61</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">62</td>
<td align="center">63</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">64</td>
<td align="center">65</td>
<td align="center">66</td>
<td align="center">67</td>
<td align="center">68</td>
<td align="center">69</td>
<td align="center">70</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">76</td>
<td align="center">77</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">78</td>
<td align="center">79</td>
<td align="center">80</td>
<td align="center">81</td>
<td align="center">82</td>
<td align="center">83</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">84</td>
<td align="center">85</td>
<td align="center">86</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">u</td>
<td align="center">p</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">r</td>
<td align="center">i</td>
<td align="center">c</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">s</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
<td align="center">d</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">71</td>
<td align="center">72</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">73</td>
<td align="center">74</td>
<td align="center">75</td>
<td align="center">76</td>
<td align="center">77</td>
<td align="center">78</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">79</td>
<td align="center">80</td>
<td align="center">81</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">87</td>
<td align="center">88</td>
<td align="center">89</td>
<td align="center">90</td>
<td align="center">91</td>
<td align="center">92</td>
<td align="center">93</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">94</td>
<td align="center">95</td>
<td align="center">96</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">97</td>
<td align="center">98</td>
<td align="center">99</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">k</td>
<td align="center">n</td>
<td align="center">o</td>
<td align="center">w</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">n</td>
<td align="center">o</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">w</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">o</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">82</td>
<td align="center">83</td>
<td align="center">84</td>
<td align="center">85</td>
<td align="center">86</td>
<td align="center">87</td>
<td align="center">88</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">89</td>
<td align="center">90</td>
<td align="center">91</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">92</td>
<td align="center">93</td>
<td align="center">94</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center"><br/></td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">100</td>
<td align="center">101</td>
<td align="center">102</td>
<td align="center">103</td>
<td align="center">104</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">105</td>
<td align="center">106</td>
<td align="center">107</td>
<td align="center">108</td>
<td align="center">109</td>
<td align="center">110</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">s</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">l</td>
<td align="center">l</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">g</td>
<td align="center">a</td>
<td align="center">t</td>
<td align="center">h</td>
<td align="center">e</td>
<td align="center">r</td>
</tr>
<tr><td align="center">95</td>
<td align="center">96</td>
<td align="center">97</td>
<td align="center">98</td>
<td align="center">99</td>
<td align="center"> </td>
<td align="center">100</td>
<td align="center">101</td>
<td align="center">102</td>
<td align="center">103</td>
<td align="center">104</td>
<td align="center">105</td>
</tr>
</table></div>
<p>"The circle of figures taken in their ascending order
and starting with the second six, run thus:</p>
<div class='center'>
6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 39, 51, 54, 72, 80, 89.<br/></div>
<div class='unindent'>Now, assuming that my interpretation of the solitary
six in the circle is correct—that the old man started
from six because he thought the use of the figure one
gave away too much—we will substitute for these figures
the letters which appear underneath them in the
table. The substitution gives us the following row of
letters:</div>
<div class='center'>
S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S<br/></div>
<p>"This is the line of letters from which we will endeavour
to reconstruct the old man's cryptogram. We
can, I think, go forward with the assurance that they
are the actual letters represented by the cryptogram,
for several reasons. There are no recurring letters,
and they represent every letter in the text in consecutive
order, with three exceptions which are capable
of a simple explanation. The U has been taken
from the second 'surely' instead of the first, to mislead
the solver. Otherwise you would have surely<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</SPAN></span>
for the first five numbers, which would be too clear
an indication. The same reason exists for making A
the tenth letter instead of the eighth; which would
reveal the word 'man.' The final letter—the 'G' in
'gather'—has been excluded, for a reason which I will
presently explain."</p>
<p>"What about the second S—the final letter? Do you
not call that a recurring letter?" asked Marsland, who
was closely examining the table the detective had prepared.</p>
<p>"Not in the cryptographic sense. It is the first letter
of the text repeated after the line had been completed
without recurring letters. There is a special reason for
its use. The old man has worked on what is called the
keyword cipher, which is the most difficult of all ciphers
to discover. This system consists of various arrangements,
more or less elaborate, of tables of letters, set
down in the form of the multiplication table, and from
the table agreed upon messages are constructed whose
solution depends on the use of some preconcerted keyword.
The most scientific adaptation of this principle
was constructed by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. In
his system the letters of the alphabet are set down one
under another from A to Z, then A is added to the line.
The next line starts with B and runs to another B at
the bottom. You continue till you have the whole
alphabet set down in this fashion. From this table
and an agreed keyword, which may consist of a proper
name or a sentence of several words, you construct
a cipher message."</p>
<p>"How?" asked Marsland, in a tone of keen interest.</p>
<p>"That is what I now propose to demonstrate to you,
if, as I think, the old man constructed his cryptogram<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</SPAN></span>
in accordance with this principle. I have come to the
conclusion that he modified and adapted this system
to his own ends, using the letters of the text from the
Bible to conceal it better, and then made it more difficult
still by turning the letters into figures after the
manner I have described. He has also made a slight
but not uncommon variation from the Beaufort principle
by striking out the 'G' in 'gather,' which would
follow the 'O' if every letter in the text was used once,
and substituting the final S, instead of placing the 'S'
after 'G.' But the clue that suggested to my mind
that he had worked on this principle are the
two figures 6 coming together at the top of the
circle. In the substituted letters they form two S's.
Now, why does he have two S's when he carefully
avoids recurring letters in the rest of the table? And
why did he insert the first S again, as represented by
the figure 6, instead of taking the next S in this table?</p>
<p>"In pondering over these points I discovered, as I
believe, the system of cryptogram he used to construct
his secret. He wanted to make the cryptogram difficult
of solution, but at the same time he wanted to give
some indication of the form of cryptogram he was
using when his heirs came to search for the money.
The recurring S indicates that he was working on a
modification of the system I have explained, in which
you add the first letter of your first column to the bottom,
and continue on that system throughout the table.
It is not much of a hint, because we have got to find
the keyword before we can use the table, but by its
help we will start with the assumption that the old
man worked on the following table:</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class='center'>
S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S<br/>
R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R<br/>
E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E<br/>
L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L<br/>
Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y<br/>
V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V<br/>
M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M<br/>
N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N<br/>
W A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W<br/>
A K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A<br/>
K T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K<br/>
T H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T<br/>
H I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H<br/>
I U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I<br/>
U D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U<br/>
D Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D<br/>
Q P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q<br/>
P C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P<br/>
C O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C<br/>
O S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O<br/>
S R E L Y V M N W A K T H I U D Q P C O S<br/></div>
<p>"It is from this table, unless I am very much mistaken,
that he constructed the cipher at the top of the
sheet," said Crewe.</p>
<p>Marsland examined the curious table of letters,
with close scrutiny, from various points of view,
finally reversing it and examining it upside-down. He
returned it to Crewe with a disappointed shake of his
head.</p>
<p>"I can make nothing of it," he said.</p>
<p>"It is necessary for us to discover the keyword
he worked on before we can make use of it," said
Crewe. "Once we get the keyword, we will have no
trouble in deciphering the mysterious message. The
keyword is the real difficulty in ciphers of this kind.
It is like the keyword of a combination lock. Without
it, you cannot unlock the cipher. It is absolutely insoluble.
Suppose, for example, he had picked a word at
random out of the dictionary, and died without divulging<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</SPAN></span>
it to anybody, we should have to go through the
dictionary word for word, working the table on each
word, till we came to the right one."</p>
<p>"But that would take years," exclaimed Marsland
blankly.</p>
<p>"Unless we hit on it by a lucky accident. That is
why the keyword cipher is practically insoluble without
knowledge of the keyword. It is not even necessary
to have a word. A prearranged code of letters
will do, known only to the composer of the cryptogram.
If he wanted anybody else to decipher his
cryptogram, he would have to divulge to him not only
the form of table he worked on but the code of letters
forming the keyword."</p>
<p>"Well, I do not see we are much further forward,"
said Marsland despondently. "Of course, it's very
clever of you to have found out what you have, but
we are helpless without the keyword. The old man
is not likely to have divulged it to anybody."</p>
<p>"You are wrong," said Crewe. "He has divulged
it."</p>
<p>"To whom?"</p>
<p>"To this paper. As I said before, he did not want
his cryptogram to be insoluble; he wanted his heirs
to have his money, but he did not want it found very
easily. You have forgotten the texts at the bottom of
the paper. They have not been placed there for nothing.
The keyword is hidden in them."</p>
<p>"I forgot all about the texts—I was so interested
in your reconstruction of the cryptogram," said Marsland.
"As you say, he didn't put the texts there for
nothing, so it seems likely that he has hidden the keyword
in them. But even now we may have some<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</SPAN></span>
difficulty in finding it. Do you propose to take the
texts word for word, testing each with the table, till
you find the right one?"</p>
<p>"That would take a long while," said Crewe. "I
hope to simplify the process considerably. In fact, I
think I have already discovered the keyword."</p>
<p>"You have!" exclaimed Marsland, in astonishment.
"How have you managed that?"</p>
<p>"By deduction from the facts in front of us—or
perhaps I should say by reflecting on the hints
placed in the texts. Isn't there something about those
texts that strikes you as peculiar?"</p>
<p>Marsland examined them attentively for some time,
and shook his head.</p>
<p>"I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently well up in the Scriptures
to notice anything peculiar about them. I should
say they were from the Old Testament, but I couldn't
tell you what part of it."</p>
<p>"The texts are from the Old Testament, from Jeremiah
XXV and Isaiah VII. They are remarkable for
the fact that they represent two passages—the only
two instances in the whole Bible—where the writers
used cryptograms to hide their actual meaning. In the
first instance the prophet, Jeremiah, living in dangerous
times, veils his attack on the King of Babylon by writing
Sheshak for Babel—Babylon; that is, instead of
using B B L, the second and twelfth letters of the
Hebrew alphabet, from the beginning, he wrote Sh
Sh K from the end—a simple form of cryptogram
which is frequently used, even now. In the second instance
the prophet Isaiah, working on a very similar
form of cryptogram, writes 'Tabeal' for 'Remaliah.'</p>
<p>"Now, we are faced by two facts concerning the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</SPAN></span>
presence of these two texts on the paper containing the
cryptogram. In the first place, the cryptogram was
complete without the texts; for what purpose, then,
could they have been at the bottom of the sheet except
to give a clue to the discovery of that keyword without
which no recovery of the hidden treasure was possible,
unless it was found by a lucky chance? In the
second place, the selection by the old man of the only
two cryptographic texts in the Bible was certainly not
chance, but part of a deliberate harmonious design to
guide the intelligent searcher to the right keyword.
He was evidently versed in cryptography, constructed
this one as carefully as a mechanic putting together
a piece of mechanism, fitting all the parts carefully
into one another. The figures in the centre of the
circle give the key to the outside figures: the outside
figures are the key to the cryptographic table of letters
from which the cryptogram is to be solved; there
remains the key to be found. It is not likely that the
composer of such an ingenious cryptogram would leave
the keyword to guesswork.</p>
<p>"The whole thing is a Bible cryptogram from first
to last: figures, letters, words, and texts. It is even
drawn on a sheet cut from the Bible. Why? Such an
act might be deemed irreverent in a deeply religious
man like the old man was, but when we piece the
thing together we find that he was actuated by a religious
spirit throughout. Not the least skilful part of
his cryptogram is his concealment of the keyword in
the text at the bottom. The text would convey nothing
to most people, for very few people know anything
about cryptograms, still fewer people would know<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</SPAN></span>
that these texts contain the only two cryptograms in
the Bible. Therefore, in accordance with his harmonious
design, it seems to me that the keyword should
be found in the five alternatives of the cryptic texts:
Babel, Babylon, Sheshak, Remaliah, or Tabeal.</p>
<p>"Babel and Babylon may be discarded because
there is no letter B in the cryptographic table, and
it is essential that the keyword shall contain no letter
which doesn't also appear in the table. 'Sheshak'
may also be discarded for the present as unlikely
because of the awkwardness of the recurring 'Sh'
in a keyword. There remain Tabeal and Remaliah.
The tendency of the composer would be to use the
longer word, because a long keyword is the better for
the purpose. I think, therefore, we should first try
whether Remaliah is the keyword we are in search
of."</p>
<p>"By Jove, Crewe, that is cleverly reasoned out!"
exclaimed Marsland, in some excitement. "Let's put
it to the test. How do we apply this keyword to the
table?"</p>
<p>"Easily enough. On this sheet of paper we will
write down the cryptogram; and the keyword underneath
it, letter for letter, thus:</p>
<div class="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="another code">
<tr><td align="center">T</td><td align="center">Y</td><td align="center">N</td><td align="center">M</td><td align="center">V</td><td align="center">R</td><td align="center">T</td><td align="center">T</td><td align="center">H</td><td align="center">S</td><td align="center">M</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">R</td><td align="center">E</td><td align="center">M</td><td align="center">A</td><td align="center">L</td><td align="center">I</td><td align="center">A</td><td align="center">H</td><td align="center">R</td><td align="center">E</td><td align="center">M</td></tr>
</table></div>
<p>"Now, the first word of the cryptogram is T. Look
in the first column of the table for it, and then run
your eye across the table for the first letter of the
keyword. When you have found it, look at the top
of the column and tell me the letter."</p>
<p>"K," said Marsland.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"Very well, then. We put down 'K' as the first
word of the solution and proceed in like manner
through the whole of the cipher. The second letter
is Y—find it in the table, then look across for the
second letter of the key E, and then to the top of the
column. What letter have you?"</p>
<p>"C," said Marsland.</p>
<p>"KC, then, are the first two letters of our solution,
and we go on to the third, always repeating the
same process. N in the first column, M across, and
the top gives you?"</p>
<p>"O," said Marsland.</p>
<p>"The next letter is M in the cryptogram and A
in the keyword. What does the top of the column
give you?"</p>
<p>"L," replied Marsland. "But I say, Crewe, do you
think we are on the right track? K, C, O, L, is a
queer start for a word isn't it? I know of no word
commencing like that."</p>
<p>"I may be mistaken, but I do not think so," replied
Crewe firmly. "Let us keep on till we've finished
it, at all events."</p>
<p>They resumed their task, and ultimately brought
out the letters: K, C, O, L, C, H, C, R, A, E, S. Marsland
gazed at the result in dismay.</p>
<p>"By Jove, we're on the wrong track," he said ruefully.
"It is the wrong word, Crewe. These letters
mean nothing; you'll have to try again."</p>
<p>But Crewe did not reply. He was examining the
result of his night's labours closely. Suddenly he
put down the paper with an unusual light in his eye.</p>
<p>"No," he said. "I am right, the old man was
thorough to the last detail. He has given another<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</SPAN></span>
clue to his heirs in the circle and the two lines. They
represent a clock face. But the figures round them
run the reverse way to clock figures. The cryptogram
reads backwards. Hold it up to that mirror,
and see."</p>
<p>Marsland did so, and laid down the paper with a
look of bewilderment.</p>
<p>"Search clock! The old grandfather clock at Cliff
Farm!" he said.</p>
<hr class="chap" />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</SPAN></span></p>
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