The visitor, whom I admitted, was a rather
haggard and dishevelled elderly gentleman, who, as he entered, peered
inquisitively through his concave spectacles from one of us to the
other.
"Allow me to introduce myself, gentlemen," said he. "I am Professor
Poppelbaum."
Thorndyke bowed and offered a chair.
"I called yesterday afternoon," our visitor continued, "at Scotland
Yard, where I heard of your remarkable decipherment and of the
convincing proof of its correctness. Thereupon I borrowed the
cryptogram, and have spent the entire night in studying it, but I cannot
connect your solution with any of the characters. I wonder if you would
do me the great favour of enlightening me as to your method of
decipherment, and so save me further sleepless nights? You may rely on
my discretion."
"Have you the document with you?" asked Thorndyke.
The Professor produced it from his pocket-book, and passed it to my
colleague.
"You observe, Professor," said the latter, "that this is a laid paper,
and has no water-mark?"
"Yes, I noticed that."
"And that the writing is in indelible Chinese ink?"
"Yes, yes," said the savant impatiently; "but it is the inscription that
interests me, not the paper and ink.
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