Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Thenextnighthesleptinsnatchesinhisclothes,meanwhilewrestlingfeverishlywiththeunravelingoftheciphermanuscript.InthemorninghismothersawthathewasatworkonthephotostaticcopyoftheHutchinsoncipher,whichhehadfrequentlyshownherbefore;butinresponsetoherqueryhesaidthattheCurwenkeycouldnotbeappliedtoit.Thatafternoonheabandonedhisworkandwatchedthemenfascinatedlyastheyfinishedtheirinstallationofthepicturewithitswoodworkaboveacleverlyrealisticelectriclog,settingthemock-fireplaceandovermantelalittleoutfromthenorthwallasifachimneyexisted,andboxinginthesideswithpanelingtomatchtheroom’s.Thefrontpanelholdingthepicturewassawnandhingedtoallowcupboardspacebehindit.Aftertheworkmenwenthemovedhisworkintothestudyandsatdownbeforeitwithhiseyeshalfonthecipherandhalfontheportraitwhichstaredbackathimlikeayear-addingandcentury-recallingmirror.

           Hisparents,subsequentlyrecallinghisconductatthisperiod,giveinterestingdetailsanentthepolicyofconcealmentwhichhepracticed.Beforeservantsheseldomhidanypaperwhichhemightbystudying,sinceherightlyassumedthatCurwen’sintricateandarchaicchirographywouldbetoomuchforthem.Withhisparents,however,hewasmorecircumspect;andunlessthemanuscriptinquestionwereacipher,orameremassofcrypticsymbolsandunknownideographs(asthatentitled’ToHimWhoShalComeAfter,etc.