“Angel has got him into some kind of institute,” replied Jimmy. “He’s a fairly common type of cranky old gentleman. ‘A science potterer,’ Angel calls him, and that is about the description. He’s the sort of man that haunts the Admiralty with plans for unsinkable battleships, a ‘minus genius’--that’s Angel’s description too--who, with an academic knowledge and a good memory, produced a reasonably clever little book, that five hundred other schoolmasters might just as easily have written. How the professor came into Reale’s life we shall never know. Probably he came across the book and discovered the author, and trusting to his madness, made a confidant of him. Do you remember,” Jimmy went on, “that you said the figures reminded you of the Bible? Well, you are right. Almost every teacher’s Bible, I find, has a plate showing how the alphabet came into existence.” He indicated with his finger as he spoke. “Here is the Egyptian hieroglyphic. Here is a ‘hand’ that means ‘D,’ and here is the queer little Hieratic wiggle that means the same thing, and you see how the Phœnician letter is very little different to the hieroglyphic, and the Greek ‘delta’ has become a triangle, and locally it has become the ‘D’ we know.” He sketched rapidly. [Illustration] “All this is horribly learned,” he said, “and has got nothing to do with the solution. But old Reale went through the strange birds, beasts and things till he found six letters, S P R I N G, which were to form the word that would open the safe.” “It is very interesting,” she said, a little bewildered. “The night you were taken away,” said Jimmy, “we found the word and cleared out the safe in case of accidents. It was a very risky proceeding on our part, because we had no authority from you to act on your behalf.” “You did right,” she said. She felt it was a feeble rejoinder, but she could think of nothing better. “And that is all,” he ended abruptly, and looked at the clock. “You must have some tea before you go,” she said hurriedly. They heard the weird shriek of a motor-horn outside, and Jimmy smiled. “That is Angel’s newest discovery,” he said, not knowing whether to bless or curse his energetic friend for spoiling the _tête-à-tête_. “Oh!” said the girl, a little blankly he thought. “Angel is always experimenting with new noises,” said Jimmy, “and some fellow has introduced him to a motor-siren which is claimed to possess an almost human voice.” The bell tinkled, and a few seconds after Angel was ushered into the room. “I have only come for a few minutes,” he said cheerfully. “I wanted to see Jimmy before he sailed, and as I have been called out of town unexpectedly----” “Before he sails?” she repeated slowly. “Are you going away?” “Oh, yes, he’s going away,” said Angel, avoiding Jimmy’s scowling eyes. “I thought he would have told you.” “I----” began Jimmy.