tters go in
groups of eight, with a semi-colon at the end of each group. Now, it is
impossible that the message can be a sentence in which every word has
exactly eight letters--or, at least, I should think so. It can scarcely
be that the semi-colon itself means a letter--it would be singular for
one letter to occur with such curious regularity as that. There is no
other visible division between the words, nor any single one of the
usual aids by which the reader of secret cypher is able to take a hold
of his work. No, I'm afraid I must give it up; for the present, at any
rate. But I really think it is a thing that would vastly interest
Hewitt, if I might show it to him. I suppose I mustn't?"

"Well," McCarthy answered, "perhaps it isn't strictly according to rule,
but I think I might venture to lend it to you till to-morrow, if that
will do. Indeed, I think, on second thoughts, that I may consider
myself quite justified, since it may lead to the man's identification,
and it will be a sufficient answer to any inquiry to say that I have
shown it to Mr. Martin Hewitt for that purpose. But you'll be careful of
it, won't you? Do you want the key, too?"

"I think, if I may, I will take the key and the envelope all together.
You can never tell what may or what may not help him, and the three
things may hang together, and perhaps explain each other in some
mysterious way."

"Very good--here's the whole bag of tricks. It's a queer business
altogether, and I must say I feel inquisitive; certainly, if Hewitt can
get anything out of those figures I shall be mighty curious to know how
he does it. You'll come in again to-morrow, then?"

I promised I would, and walked off with the crumpled envelope, the
little key, and the puzzling strip of figures. Since the lesson from
Hewitt which I have alluded to, I had often amused myself with
cryptogram reading, and I had never found a cypher message in a
newspaper "agony-column" the meaning of which I could not get at with a
little trouble. But this was something altogether beyond me; and if I
have any reader who prides himself on his ability to read secret cypher,
I recommend him to try his skill on this one before he reads further.

The circumstances, too, seemed as puzzling as the writing itself. Why,
if any person wished to send a note and a key in a closed envelope,
should he take the trouble to pack the note inside the key? Why,
especially when the note was already written in so baff