“I am afraid I fell into a doze,” Marsland murmured apologetically, as the room and its surroundings came back to him.
“You’ve been sleeping soundly for nearly two hours,” said Crewe, with a smile.
“Impossible!” exclaimed Marsland. He took out his watch and looked at it in astonishment. “By Jove, it’s actually six o’clock. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“What for? I became so absorbed in the old man’s secret that I had no idea of the flight of time till I looked at my watch a few minutes ago. He has evolved a very neat cryptogram—very neat and work-manlike.
It was quite a pleasure to try and decipher
it.”
“Have you found out anything about it?”
“I believe I have solved it.”
“And what is the solution?” asked Marsland, now thoroughly awake. “Where is the money hidden?”
“Now you are going too fast,” said Crewe. “I said I believed I have solved the secret. In other words, I believe I have hit on the old man’s cryptogram, and the key which solves it, but I have deferred applying the key till I awakened you, as I thought you would like to share in it.”