He holds the key, the secret of all languages, living or dead.

He speaks Castilian as well as we do, and yet he has never been in a Spanish-speaking country." Argensola again felt a thrill of mystery upon reading the titles of many of the volumes.

The majority were old books, many of them in languages that he was not able to decipher, picked up for a song at second-hand shops or on the book stands installed upon the parapets of the Seine.
Only a man holding the key of tongues could get together such volumes.
An atmosphere of mysticism, of superhuman insight, of secrets intact for many centuries appeared to emanate from these heaps of dusty volumes with worm-eaten leaves.

And mixed with these ancient tomes were others red and conspicuous, pamphlets of socialistic propaganda, leaflets in all the languages of Europe and periodicals--many periodicals, with revolutionary titles.
Tchernoff did not appear to enjoy visits and conversation.

He would smile enigmatically into his black beard, and was very sparing with his words so as to shorten the interview.