Couldthefair—hairedmaninthegravehavebeenoneofthese？
ThusIspeculatedbeforeIlookedatthepileofparchmentssoevidentlypreparedfromsheepskinsbyonewhohadonlyaveryrudimentaryknowledgeofhowtoworksuchstuff,notknowingthatinthoseparchmentswashidtheanswertomanyofmyquestions。TotheseIturnedlastofall,forweallshrinkfromparchments;theircontentsaregenerallysodull。Therewasagreatbundleofthemthathadbeenlashedtogetherwithakindofstrawrope,finestrawthatremindedmeofthatusedtomakePanamahats。Butthishadrottedunderneathtogetherwithallthebottompartoftheparchments,manysheetsofthem,ofwhichonlyfragmentsremained,coveredwithdrymouldandcrumbling。Thereforetheropewaseasytoremoveandbeneathit,holdingthesheetsinplace,wasonlysomestoutandcomparativelymodernstring——ithadaredthreadinitthatmarkeditasnavycordofanoldpattern。
Islippedthesefasteningsoffandliftedablankpieceofskinsetuponthetop。Beneathappearedthefirstsheetofparchment,closely,verycloselycoveredwithsmall\"black—letter\"writing,sofaintandfadedthatevenifIwereabletoreadblack—letter,whichIcannot,ofitIcouldhavemadenothingatall。Thethingwashopeless。
Doubtlessinthatwritinglaythekeytothemystery,butitcouldneverbedecipheredbymeoranyoneelse。TheladywiththeeyeslikeadeerhadappearedtooldPottsinvain;invainhadshebiddenhimtohandoverthismanuscripttome。
SoIthoughtatthetime,notknowingtheresourcesofscience。