"I was just going to see if Mr. Hewitt was at the place," he said, "and if so to ask him for news. But I am rather in a hurry, and perhaps you can tell me?" "We are on the track, I think," I answered, "and I have just come across this, which I am taking to Hewitt," and with that I showed him my translation of the cypher, and gave him its history in half a dozen sentences. "That's good," Peytral answered. "I don't know Channel Marsh, do you? But probably Mr. Hewitt does. I won't keep you any longer--I see you're hurrying. But I hope to see you again before long." He dropped off the step and disappeared, and the cab went on round the corner by the "Compasses." I found Hewitt and Plummer in the office where, on pretence of bookbindery, I had first seen Mayes face to face the day before. They were near the completion of their examination of this office and all its contents, and soon would begin as systematically on the premises behind. I gave Hewitt my copy of the cypher message, and my translation, with an exact account of how it had come into my possession. Martin Hewitt studied the message for a minute or two, and then relapsed into grave thought. So he sat for some little time, while Plummer left the room by the window and descended the ladder to speak with his men on guard below. Presently Hewitt looked up and said: "Brett, this message is most important--probably as important as you suppose it to be. But at the same time I believe you have made a great mistake about it." "But I haven't misread it, have I? Is there any other way----" "No, you haven't misread it; you've read every word as it was intended to be read. But it is a very different thing from what you suppose it to be." "What is it, then?" Martin Hewitt put the paper on the table and looked keenly in my face. "It is a trap," he said. "It is a trap to catch _me_--unless I flatter myself unduly." I could not understand. "A trap?" I repeated. "But how?"