“Well, after each letter, we will write in order the letters in the alphabet that follow it. After A we will write B C D E F G, and after L we will write M N O P Q R, and whenever we get to Z we start the alphabet again. So if we write our whole names it will look like this—
| A. | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| L. | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| I. | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| N. | O | P | Q | R | S | T |
| E. | F | G | H | I | J | K |
| G. | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| I. | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| L. | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| L. | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| E. | F | G | H | I | J | K |
| S. | T | U | V | W | X | Y |
| P. | Q | R | S | T | U | V |
| I. | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| E. | F | G | H | I | J | K |
| I. | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| A. | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| N. | O | P | Q | R | S | T |
| M. | N | O | P | Q | R | S |
| E. | F | G | H | I | J | K |
| N. | O | P | Q | R | S | T |
| S. | T | U | V | W | X | Y |
| T. | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| R. | S | T | U | V | W | X |
| I. | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| E. | F | G | H | I | J | K |
Now there are 25 letters in each column, and if we just put a number at the top of our communication, we shall know where we are to begin to use the sequence.”
“I see,” said Aline, “if the number is 51 we shall begin at the top of the third column; if it is 56 we shall begin 6 letters down the third column.”
“And if it was 176,” said Ian, “what should we do?”
“Well, we should have to make another column the same way and we should begin at the top of it.”
“Now suppose the number is 1, we shall then begin at the very beginning, and the way we should use the letters would be like this. Suppose this is the message,—
“Arthur Melland wishes to notifie the good people in the Lothians of the lasting excellence of his wares. His pack is regularly filled with all the newest materials and, too, all is most marvellously finished in design.
Our first letter was A, and the first A we find is the A of ‘Arthur.’ Our second letter was L, and the next L that we find is in ‘Melland.’ Our third letter was I and the next I that we find is in ‘wishes.’ Our fourth letter was N and the next N that we find is in ‘notifie.’”