So amid some laughter a brief undertaking was signed, in order that I may show to Diamond, as Frank put it.
Its really a most businesslike affair, declared Gwen, who witnessed her fathers signature. The secret must be a most wonderful one.
It is, dear, declared her lover. Wait and hear your fathers opinion. He is one of the very few men in the whole kingdom competent to judge whether the declaration is one worthy of investigation.
The Professor was seated at his writing-table placed near the left-hand window, and had just signed the document airily, with a feeling that the whole matter was a myth. Upon the table was his green-shaded electric reading-lamp, and with his head within the zone of its mellow light he sat, his bearded chin resting upon his palm, looking at the man to whom he had promised his daughters hand.
A scholar of his stamp is always very slow to commit himself to any opinion. The Hebrew professor, whoever he may be, follows recognised lines, and has neither desire nor inclination to depart from them. It was so with Griffin. Truth to tell, he was much interested in the problem which young Farquhar had placed before him, but at the same time the suggestion made by Doctor Diamond was so startling and unheard of that, within himself, he laughed at the idea, regarding it as a mere newspaper sensation, invented in the brain of some clever Continental swindler.
From his pocket the young man drew forth the precious envelope, and out of it took the cards between which reposed three pieces of crinkled and smoke-blackened typewriting, the edges of which had all been badly burned.
The first which he placed with infinite care, touching it as lightly as possible, upon the Professors blotting-pad was the page already reproduced the folio which referred to the studying of the Mishna and the cabalistic signs which the writer had apparently discovered therein.
The old man, blinking through his heavy round glasses, examined the disjointed words and unfinished lines, grunted once or twice in undisguised dissatisfaction, and placed the fragment aside.
Well? inquired Farquhar, eagerly, does that convey anything to you?
The Professor pursed his lips in quiet disbelief.
The prologue of a very elegant piece of fiction, he sneered. The man who makes this statement ought certainly to have been a novelist.
Why?
Because of the clever manner in which he introduces his subject. But let us continue.
With delicate fingers Frank Farquhar handled the next scrap of typewriting and placed it before the great expert.
The folio in question apparently attracted Professor Griffin much more than the first one presented to him. He read and re-read it, his grey face the whole time heavy and thoughtful. He was reconstructing the context in his own mind, and its reconstruction evidently caused him deep and very serious reflection.
A dozen times he re-read it, while Frank and Gwen stood by exchanging glances in silence.
The first portion of the statement on this folio is quite plain, remarked the Professor at last, looking up and blinking at the young man. The writer indicates the Biblical fact that, after the Babylonian imprisonment the tablets of Moses were never again exhibited in the Temple. Surely this is not any amazing discovery! Every reader of the Old Testament is aware of that fact. The prophet Ezekiel himself was one of the temple priests deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. Youll find mention of it in Ezekiel, i, 2-8. His message consisted at first of denunciations of his countrymen, both in Babylon and in Palestine, but after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. he became a prophet of consolation, promising the eventual deliverance and restoration of the chosen people. Give me down the Bible, Gwen, dear, and also Skinner the Expositors Bible. Youll see it in the second case third shelf to the left.
The girl crossed the room, and after a moments search returned with the two volumes, which she placed before her father.
Nebuchadnezzar received certain vessels from the temple at Jerusalem. Well, we know that, remarked the old man, as he opened the copy of Holy Writ and slowly turned its pages.
The reference in the book of Ezra, he said, referring to the open book before him, concerns the proclamation of Cyrus, King of Persia, for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, how the people provided for the return, and how Cyrus restored the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar, the Prince of Judah. Then, turning to Gwen, he said: Read the verses referred to, dear seventh to the eleventh in the first chapter.
The girl bent over the Bible, and read the verses aloud as follows:
Also Cyrus the King brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
Even those did Cyrus King of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the Prince of Judah.
And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
All the vessels of gold and silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Surely that is sufficient historical fact! the old Professor said in his hard, dry-as-dust voice. Again, farther on, there is, you see, a statement that Titus destroyed Jerusalem and that he built the Arch of Triumph in Rome and placed a representation of the candlesticks upon it. Does not every schoolboy know that! Bosh! my dear Frank!
True, exclaimed Frank, but see! in the next line but one is a reference to the existence of something in the whole prophecy of Ezekiel something in black and white.
Professor Griffin shrugged his shoulders.
Ezekiel develops the doctrine of individual responsibility and of the Messianic kingdom as no prophet before him, was the Professors reply. It may refer to that. The prophets style is not of the highest order, but is extraordinarily rich and striking in its imagery. The authenticity of the book is now admitted, all but universally, but the corrupt state of the Hebrew text has, for ages, been the despair of students. Cornhill, in 1886, made a brilliant attempt to reconstruct the Hebrew text with the aid of the Septuagint.
Griffin noticed that his young friend did not quite follow that last remark, so he added:
The Septuagint is, as you may perhaps know, the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures made directly from the Hebrew original during the third century before Christ for the use of the Hellenistic Jews. In the literary forgery produced about the Christian era, known as the Letter of Aristeas, and accepted as genuine by Josephus and others, it is alleged that the translation was made by seventy-two men at the command of Ptolemy II. You will find portions of it in the British Museum, and from it we find that the translation is not of uniform value or of the same style throughout. The Pentateuch and later historical books, as well as the Psalms, exhibit a very fair rendering of the original. The prophetical books, and more especially Ezekiel, show greater divergence from the Hebrew, while Proverbs frequently display loose paraphrase.
But is there anything in those typed lines which strikes you as unusually curious? demanded young Farquhar, pointing to the smoked and charred fragment upon the blotting-pad.
But is there anything in those typed lines which strikes you as unusually curious? demanded young Farquhar, pointing to the smoked and charred fragment upon the blotting-pad.
The Professor was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed upon the disjointed and unfinished sentences.
Well yes. There is something, was his answer. That statement that something exists in the whole prophecy of Ezekiel. What is that something?
Is it what Doctor Diamond suspects it to be, do you think?
I can form no definite conclusion until I have investigated the whole, was the great scholars response. But I would, at this point, withdraw my own light remarks of half an hour ago. There may be something of interest in it, but what the picturesque story is all leading up to I cannot quite imagine.
To a secret to the solution of a great and undreamed-of mystery! declared Frank excitedly.
The last few lines of this scrap before me certainly leads towards that supposition, was the answer of Gwen Griffins father.
Then you do not altogether negative Diamonds theory that there is here, if we can only supply the context, the key to the greatest secret this world has ever known!
Ah! that is saying a good deal, was the reply. Let me continue the investigation of this wonderful document which the dying man was so anxious to destroy.
And by the sphinx-like expression upon the old mans face it was apparent that he had already gathered more information than he was willing to admit.
The truth was that the theory he had already formed within his own mind held him bewildered. His thin fingers trembled as he touched the dried, crinkled folio.
There was a secret there without a doubt, colossal and astounding one of which even the greatest scholars in Europe through all the ages had never dreamed!
The old man sat staring through his spectacles in abject wonder.
Was Doctor Diamonds theory really the correct one? If so, what right had these most precious papers to be in the hands of an irresponsible journalist?
If there was really a secret, together with its solution then the latter must be his, and his alone, he decided. How it would enhance his great reputation if he were the person to launch it forth upon the world!
Therefore the old mans attitude suddenly changed and he pretended to regard the affair humorously, in the hope of putting Frank off his guard.
If the world was ever to be startled by the discovery it should, he intended, be by Professor Arminger Griffin, and not through any one of those irresponsible halfpenny sheets controlled by Sir George Gavin and his smart and ingenious young brother-in-law.
Both Frank Farquhar and Gwen noticed the old mans sudden change of manner, and stood puzzled and wondering, little dreaming what was passing with his mind.
Few men are alas! honest where their own reputations are at stake.
Chapter Seven
In which the Professor Exhibits Cunning
Frank was fully aware that Professor Griffin was an eccentric man, full of strange moods and strong prejudices. Most scholars and writers are.
But, dad, exclaimed his daughter, placing her soft hand upon his shoulder, what do you really think of it? Is there anything in this Doctor Diamonds theory?
My dear child, I never jump to conclusions, as you know. It is against my habit. Its probably one of the many hoaxes which have been practised for the last thousand years.
The girl exchanged a quick glance with her lover. She could see that Frank was annoyed by the light manner with which her father treated the alleged secret.
Well, Professor, said the young man at last, this, apparently, is the next folio, though the numbering of each has been destroyed, and he placed before the man in spectacles another scrap which presented the appearance as shown.
In an instant the old man became intensely interested though he endeavoured very cleverly to conceal the fact. He bent, and taking up a large magnifying-glass mounted in silver a gift from Frank on the previous Christmas he carefully examined each word in its order.
Ah! he exclaimed, the first three lines, underlined as you see, are apparently a portion of some prophecy regarding the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, the period of the Blood-debts, after which comes the period when the oppression will lose its power, which means their release by Cyras. Come now, this is of some interest!
Read on, dad, urged the dainty girl, excitedly. Tell us what you gather from it.
The pair were standing hand-in-hand, at the back of the old mans writing-chair.
Not so quickly, dear not so quickly. Thats the worst of women. They are always so erratic, always in such an uncommon hurry, he added with a laugh.
Then, after a pause during which he carefully examined the lines which followed, he pointed out: You see that somebody not the writer of the document, remember has stated that Moses tablets The Cha , which must mean the Chair of Grace, between two cherubims of fine gold, a number of other things, including the Ark of the Covenant itself and the archives of the Temple down to B.C. 600 are what?
And he raised his head staring at the pair through his round and greatly magnifying-glasses.
Doctor Diamonds theory is that the treasures of Solomons Temple are still concealed at the spot where they were hidden by the priests before the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.
The Professor laughed aloud.
My dear Farquhar, he exclaimed, on the face of this folio it would, of course, appear so. One may read it as a statement of fact that all the relics of the Temple and all the great treasures of the ages bygone the Treasure of Israel are concealed beneath, somewhere which is a series of something. To this, there are three entrances, one only being accessible. Then in the final lines, we have another prophecy that the tablets shall remain in their hiding-place that is with the Ark of the Covenant till the coming of the Messiah who alone may open the treasure-house, or place of concealment, in order that he may show proof of , and the rest is lost. he added with a sigh of disappointment.
I admit, said Frank, that is one reading of it. But what is your reading that of an expert?
The old man merely shrugged his shoulders and said:
I dont think that the Doctors theory is the correct one. The belief that the Treasure of Solomons Temple still exists is far too wild and unsubstantiated. Of course, it is not quite clear in history what became of the contents of the Temple, but I think we may safely at once dismiss any possibility of the relics of Moses as being intact after a couple of thousand years or so. Stories of hidden treasure have appealed to the avarice of man throughout all the ages, from the days of the Roman Emperors, down to the day before yesterday, when a ship went forth to search for the lost gold of President Kruger. There have been hundreds, nay thousands of expeditions to search for treasure, but in nearly every case the searchers have returned sadder and poorer men. No, Frank, he exclaimed, decisively, I dont think any one would be such an utter fool as to attempt to suggest that the Treasure of Israel still exists. At least no scholar would. Whoever would do such a thing would be a clumsy bungler, ignorant of both the Hebrew language and the history of the Hebrew nation. Doctor Diamond, from what you tell me, is, I gather, one of such.
But they are not the Doctors documents, Frank hastened to point out. As Ive told you, a man dying in Paris ordered him to burn them. He did so, but they were not all consumed.