"
"First, turn the letter I one way or the other."
"Which one? There are two of them."
"The first one."
Devanne took hold of the letter, and exclaimed:
"Ah! yes, it turns toward the right. Who told you that?"
Sherlock Holmes did not reply to the question, but continued his
directions:
"Now, take the letter B. Move it back and forth as you would a
bolt."
Devanne did so, and, to his great surprise, it produced a clicking
sound.
"Quite right," said Holmes. "Now, we will go to the other end of
the word Thibermesnil, try the letter I, and see if it will open
like a wicket."
With a certain degree of solemnity, Devanne seized the letter. It
opened, but Devanne fell from the ladder, for the entire section of
the bookcase, lying between the first and last letters of the
words, turned on a picot and disclosed the subterranean passage.
Sherlock Holmes said, coolly:
"You are not hurt?"
"No, no," said Devanne, as he rose to his feet, "not hurt, only
bewildered. I can't understand now....those letters turn....the
secret passage opens...."
"Certainly. Doesn't that agree exactly with the formula given by
Sully? Turn one eye on the bee that shakes, the other eye will
lead to God.
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