“It was most unfortunate, sir. But I have occasionally done thesame thing at other times.”
“When did you enter the room?”
“It was about half-past four. That is Mr. Soames’ tea time.”
“How long did you stay?”
“When I saw that he was absent, I withdrew at once.”
“Did you look at these papers on the table?”
“No, sir—certainly not.”
“How came you to leave the key in the door?”
“I had the tea-tray in my hand. I thought I would come back forthe key. Then I forgot.”
“Has the outer door a spring lock?”
“No, sir.”
“Then it was open all the time?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anyone in the room could get out?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When Mr. Soames returned and called for you, you were verymuch disturbed?”
“Yes, sir. Such a thing has never happened during the many yearsthat I have been here. I nearly fainted, sir.”
“So I understand. Where were you when you began to feel bad?”
“Where was I, sir? Why, here, near the door.”
“That is singular, because you sat down in that chair over yondernear the corner. Why did you pass these other chairs?”
“I don’t know, sir, it didn’t matter to me where I sat.”
“I really don’t think he knew much about it, Mr. Holmes. Hewas looking very bad—quite ghastly.”
“You stayed here when your master left?”
“Only for a minute or so. Then I locked the door and went tomy room.”
“Whom do you suspect?”
“Oh, I would not venture to say, sir. I don’t believe there is anygentleman in this university who is capable of profiting by such anaction. No, sir, I’ll not believe it.”
“Thank you, that will do,” said Holmes. “Oh, one more word.
You have not mentioned to any of the three gentlemen whom youattend that anything is amiss?”
“No, sir—not a word.”
“You haven’t seen any of them?”
“No, sir.”
“Very good. Now, Mr. Soames, we will take a walk in the quadrangle,if you please.”
Three yellow squares of light shone above us in the gatheringgloom.
“Your three birds are all in their nests,” said Holmes, looking up.
“Halloa! What’s that? One of them seems restless enough.”
It was the Indian, whose dark silhouette appeared suddenlyupon his blind. He was pacing swiftly up and down his room.
“I should like to have a peep at each of them,” said Holmes. “Isit possible?”
“No difficulty in the world,” Soames answered. “This set ofrooms is quite the oldest in the college, and it is not unusualfor visitors to go over them. Come along, and I will personallyconduct you.”
“No names, please!” said Holmes, as we knocked at Gilchrist’sdoor. A tall, flaxen-haired, slim young fellow opened it, and madeus welcome when he understood our errand. There were somereally curious pieces of mediaeval domestic architecture within.
Holmes was so charmed with one of them that he insisted ondrawing it in his notebook, broke his pencil, had to borrow onefrom our host and finally borrowed a knife to sharpen his own.
The same curious accident happened to him in the rooms of theIndian—a silent, little, hook-nosed fellow, who eyed us askance,and was obviously glad when Holmes’s architectural studies hadcome to an end. I could not see that in either case Holmes hadcome upon the clue for which he was searching. Only at the thirddid our visit prove abortive. The outer door would not open toour knock, and nothing more substantial than a torrent of badlanguage came from behind it. “I don’t care who you are. You cango to blazes!” roared the angry voice. “Tomorrow’s the exam, and Iwon’t be drawn by anyone.”
“A rude fellow,” said our guide, flushing with anger as we withdrewdown the stair. “Of course, he did not realize that it was I who wasknocking, but none the less his conduct was very uncourteous, and,indeed, under the circumstances rather suspicious.”
Holmes’s response was a curious one.
“Can you tell me his exact height?” he asked.
“Really, Mr. Holmes, I cannot undertake to say. He is taller thanthe Indian, not so tall as Gilchrist. I suppose five foot six would beabout it.”
“That is very important,” said Holmes. “And now, Mr. Soames, Iwish you good-night.”
Our guide cried aloud in his astonishment and dismay. “Goodgracious, Mr. Holmes, you are surely not going to leave me in thisabrupt fashion! You don’t seem to realize the position. To-morrowis the examination. I must take some definite action to-night. Icannot allow the examination to be held if one of the papers hasbeen tampered with. The situation must be faced.”
“You must leave it as it is. I shall drop round early to-morrowmorning and chat the matter over. It is possible that I may be in aposition then to indicate some course of action. Meanwhile, youchange nothing—nothing at all.”
“Very good, Mr. Holmes.”
“You can be perfectly easy in your mind. We shall certainly findsome way out of your difficulties. I will take the black clay withme, also the pencil cuttings. Good-bye.”
When we were out in the darkness of the quadrangle, we againlooked up at the windows. The Indian still paced his room. Theothers were invisible.
“Well, Watson, what do you think of it?” Holmes asked, as wecame out into the main street. “Quite a little parlour game—sortof three-card trick, is it not? There are your three men. It must beone of them. You take your choice. Which is yours?”
“The foul-mouthed fellow at the top. He is the one with theworst record. And yet that Indian was a sly fellow also. Whyshould he be pacing his room all the time?”
“There is nothing in that. Many men do it when they are tryingto learn anything by heart.”
“He looked at us in a queer way.”
“So would you, if a flock of strangers came in on you when youwere preparing for an examination next day, and every momentwas of value. No, I see nothing in that. Pencils, too, and knives—all was satisfactory. But that fellow does puzzle me.”
“Who?”
“Why, Bannister, the servant. What’s his game in the matter?”
“He impressed me as being a perfectly honest man.”
“So he did me. That’s the puzzling part. Why should a perfectlyhonest man——Well, well, here’s a large stationer’s. We shall beginour researches here.”