"
"Precisely," said Thorndyke. "Now, it was the ink that interested me
when I caught a glimpse of the document three days ago. 'Why,' I asked
myself, 'should anyone use this troublesome medium'--for this appears to
be stick ink--'when good writing ink is to be had?' What advantages has
Chinese ink over writing ink? It has several advantages as a drawing
ink, but for writing purposes it has only one: it is quite unaffected
by wet. The obvious inference, then, was that this document was, for
some reason, likely to be exposed to wet. But this inference instantly
suggested another, which I was yesterday able to put to the test--thus."
He filled a tumbler with water, and, rolling up the document, dropped it
in. Immediately there began to appear on it a new set of characters of a
curious grey colour. In a few seconds Thorndyke lifted out the wet
paper, and held it up to the light, and now there was plainly visible an
inscription in transparent lettering, like a very distinct water-mark.
It was in printed Roman capitals, written across the other writing, and
read:
"THE PICKERDILLEY STUF IS UP THE CHIMBLY 416 WARDOUR ST 2ND FLOUR BACK
IT WAS HID BECOS OF OLD MOAKEYS JOOD MOAKEY IS A BLITER.
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