I would suggest, however, that we first try the
last word on the list--maybe we won't have to go any farther."
"Very well," said Carpenter, briskly.
The advantage was all with him. If Marston thought the letter was only a
line and that he could remember the letters used, he was in for a shock.
No man living could remember twenty spilled alphabets; and if he
attempted to make a copy it could easily be prevented. The Fifth
Secretary spread the paper on the table.
"Here is a copy of the cipher letter in question--we had it made large
for convenience," he explained. "The original is in the safe; you'll wish
to compare it with the copy, so we'll have it here."
He gave the necessary order; when the letter was brought he passed it to
Marston.
"I'll read the copy, if you'll hold the original," he said; and
proceeded to call off the letters with amazing rapidity. "Correct, isn't
it?" as he ended.
"Yes!" said Marston returning the original to Carpenter. He wanted in
every way to disarm suspicion; moreover, a copy could be made more
readily from a large typewritten edition than from the small, written
original. "Now for the code-book and the last key-word--_a l'aube du
jour_, I think it is ... yes, _a l'aube du jour_, it is," and he handed
the book across.
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