“I see!” she answered abstractedly as she began to read. When she had gone right through it she handed it to me and said:
“Now you read it out loud to me whilst I paint; and let me ask questions so that I may understand.” So I read; and now and again she asked me searching questions. Twice or three times I had to read over the memorandum; but each time she began to understand better and better, and at last said eagerly:
“Have you ever worked out such reductions?”
“Not yet, but I could do so. I have been so busy trying to decipher the secret writing that I have not had time to try any such writing myself.”
“Have you succeeded in any way?”
“No!” I answered. “I am sorry to say that as yet I have nothing definite; though I am bound to say I am satisfied that there is a cipher.”
“Have you tried both the numbers and the dots?”
“Both,” I answered; “but as yet I want a jumping-off place.”
“Do you really think from what you have studied that the cipher is a biliteral one, or on the basis of a biliteral cipher?”
“I do! I can’t say exactly how I came to think so; but I certainly do.”