Speaker 1: The adventure of the three students. It was in the
ninety five that a combination of events into which I
need not enter caused mister Sherlock Holmes and myself to
spend some weeks in one of our great university towns.
And it was during this time that the small but
instructive adventure which I am about to relate befell us.
It will be obvious that any details which would help
the reader exactly to identify the college or the criminal
would be injudicious and offensive. So painful a scandal may
well be allowed to die out with due discretion. The
incident itself may, however, be described, since it serves to
illustrate some of those qualities to which my friend was remarkable.
I will endeavor in my statement to avoid such terms
as would serve to limit the events to any particular
place or give a clue as to the people concerned.
We were reading at the time in furnished lodgings close
to a library where Shlock Colmbs was pursuing some laborious
researches in early English charters, researches which led to results
so striking that they may be the subject of one
of my future narratives here. It was that one evening
we received a visit from an acquaintance, mister Hilton Solmes,
tutor and lecturer at the College of Saint Luke's. Mister
Solmes was a tall, spare man of a nervous and
excitable temperament. I had always known him to be restless
in his manner, but on this particular occasion he was
in such a state of uncontrollable agitation that it was
clear something very unusual had occurred. I trust, mister Holmes,
that you can spare me a few hours of your
valuable time. We have had a very painful incident at
Saint Luke's, and really, but for the happy chance of
your being in town, I should have been at a
loss what to do. I am very busy just now,
and I desire no distracts, my friend answered, I should
much prefer that you called in the aid of the police. No, no,
my dear sir, Such a course is utterly impossible, when
once the law is evoked, it cannot be stayed again.
And this is just one of those cases where, for
the credit of the college it is most essential to
avoid scandal. Your discretion is as well known as your powers,
and you are the one man in the world who
can help me. I beg you, mister Holmes, to do
what you can. My friend's temper had not improved since
he had been deprived of the congenial surroundings of Baker Street.
Without his scrap books, his chemicals, and his homely untidiness,
he was an uncomfortable man. He shrugged his shoulders in
ungracious acquiescence, while our visitor, in hurried words and with
much excitable gesticulation, poured forth his story. I must explain
to you, mister Holmes, that tomorrow is the first day
of the examination for the Fortescue Scholarship. I am one
of the examiners. My subject is Greek, and the first
of the papers consists of a large passage of Greek
translation which the candidate has not seen. This passage is
printed on the examination paper, and it would naturally be
an immense advantage if the candidate could prepare it in advance.
For this reason, great care is taken to keep the
paper secret. Today, about three o'clock the proofs of this
paper arrive from the printers. The exercise consists of half
a chapter of Thucidides. I had to read it over carefully,
as the text must be absolutely correct. At four thirty
my task was not yet completed. I had, however, promised
to take tea in a friend's room, so I left
the proof upon my desk. I was absent rather more
than an hour. You are aware, misis to Holmes that
our college doors are double, a green baize one within
and a heavy oak one without. As I approached my
outer door, I was amazed to see a key in it.
For an instant I imagined that I had left my
own there, But on feeling in my pocket, I found
that it was all right. The only duplicate which existed
so far as I knew, was that which belonged to
my servant Banister, a man who has looked after my
room for ten years, and whose honesty is absolutely above suspicion.
I found that the key it was indeed his, that
he had entered my room to know if I wanted tea,
and that he had very carelessly left the key in
the door when he came out. His visit to my
room must have been within a very few minutes of
my leaving it. His forgetfulness about the key would have
mattered little upon any other occasion, but on this one
day it has produced the most deplorable consequences. The moment
I looked at my table, I was aware that some
one had rummaged among my papers. The proof was in
three long slips. I had left them altogether. Now I
found that one of them was lying on the floor,
one was on the side table near the window, and
the third was where I had left it. Holmes stirred
for the first time. The first page on the floor,
the second in the window, the third where you left it,
said he exactly, mister Holmes, you amaze me. How could
you possibly know that? Pray continue your very interesting statement.
For an instant I imagined that Banister had taken the
unpardonable liberty of examining my papers. He denied it, however,
with the utmost earnestness, and I am convinced that he
was speaking the truth. The alternative was that some one
passing had observed the key in the door, had known
that I was out, and had entered to look at
the papers. A large sum of money is at stake,
for the scholarship is a very valuable one, and an
unscrupulous man might very well run a risk in order
to gain an advantage over his fellows. Banister, who was
very much upset by the incident. He had nearly fainted
when we found that the papers had undoubtedly been tampered with.
I gave him a little brandy and left him collapsed
in a chair while I made a most careful examination
of the room. I soon saw that the intruder had
left other traces of his presence. Beside the rumpled papers
on the table in the window were several shreds from
a pencil which had been sharpened. A broken tip of
lead was lying there also. Evidently the rascal had copied
the paper in a great hurry, had broken his pencil,
and had been compelled to put a fresh point to it. Excellent,
said Holmes, who was recovering his good humor as his
attention became more engrossed by the case. Fortune has been
your friend. This was not all. I have a new
writing table with a fine surface of red leather. I
am prepared to swear, and so is Banister, that it
was smooth and unstained. Now I found a clean cut
in it, about three inches long, not a mere scratch,
but a positive cut. Not only this, but on the
table I found a small ball of black dough or
clay with specks of something which looks like sawdust in it.
I am convinced that these marks were left by the
man who rifled the papers. There were no footmarks and
no other evidence as to his identity. I was at
my wits end when suddenly the happy thought occurred to
me that you were in town, and I came straight
round to put the matter into your hands. Do help me,
mister Holmes. You see my dilemma. Either I must find
the man, or else the examination must be postponed until
fresh papers are prepared. And since this cannot be done
without explanation, there will ensue a hideous scandal which will
throw a cloud not only on the college, but on
the university. Above all things, I desire to settle the
matter quietly and discreetly. I shall be happy to look
into it and to give you such advice as I can,
said Holmes, rising and putting on his overcoat. The case
is not entirely devoid of interest. Had any one visited
you in your room after the papers came to you, Yes,
a young dule at Ras, an Indian student who lives
on the same stair, came in to ask me some
particulars about the examination for which he was entered. Yes,
and the papers were on your table. To the best
of my belief, they were rolled up, but might be
recognized as proofs. Possibly no one else in your room. No,
did any one know that these proofs would be there.
No one save the printer. Did this man Banister know? No,
certainly not No one knew where is Banister? Now? He
was very ill, poor fellow. I left him collapsed in
the chair. I was in such a hurry to come
to you. You left your door open. I locked up
the papers first. Then it amounts to this, mister Solmes,
that unless the Indian student recognized the roll as being proofs,
the man who tampered with them came upon them accidentally
without knowing that they were there. So it seems to
me Holmes gave an enigmatic smile, well said he let
us go round. Not one of your cases, Watson, mental
not physical. All right, come if you want to now,
mister Solmes, at your disposal. The sitting room of our
client opened by a long, low latticed window on to
the ancient like and tinted court of the Old College.
A Gothic arched door led to a worn stone staircase.
On the ground floor was the tutor's room. Above were
three students, one on each story. It was already twilight
when we reached the scene of our problem. Holmes halted
and looked earnestly at the window. Then he approached it, and,
standing on tiptoe with his neck craned, he looked into
the room. He must have entered through the door. There
is no opening except the one pane, said our learned guide.
Dear me, said Holmes, and he smiled in a singular
way as he glanced at our companion. Well, if there
is nothing to be learned here, we had best go inside.
The lecturer unlocked the outer door and ushered us into
his room. We stood at the entrance while Holmes made
an examination of the carpet. I am afraid there are
no signs here, said he. One could hardly hope for
any upon so dry a day. Your servant seems to
have quite recovered. You left him in a chair. You say,
which chair by the window? There? I see near this
little table. You can come in now I have finished
with the carpet. Let us take the little table first.
Of course, what has happened is very clear. The man
entered and took the papers sheet by sheet from the
central table. He carried them over to the window table,
because from there he could see if you came across
the courtyard, and so could effect and escape. As a
matter of fact, he could not, said Solmes, for I
entered by the side door. Ah, that's good. Well, anyhow,
that was in his mind. Now let me see the
three strips. No finger impressions. No, well, he carried over
this one first, and he copied it. How long would
it take him to do that, using every possible contraction?
Quarter of an hour, not less. Then he tossed it
down and seized the next. He was in the midst
of that when your return caused him to make a
very hurried retreat, very hurried, and since he had not
time to replace the papers, which would tell you that
he'd been there, you were not aware of any hurrying
feet on the stair as you entered the outer door. No,
I can't say I was well. He wrote so furiously
that he broke his pencil and had, as you observe,
to sharpen it again. This is of interest, Watson. The
pencil was not an ordinary one. It was above the
usual size with a soft lead. The outer color was
dark blue. The maker's name was printed in silver lettering,
and the peace remaining is only about an inch and
a half long. Look for such a pencil, mister Solmes,
and you have got your man. When I add that
he possesses a large and very blunt knife, you have
an additional aid. Mister Solmes was somewhat overwhelmed by this
flood of information. I can follow the other points, said he,
But really in this matter of the length, Holmes held
out a small chip with the letters N N and
a space of clear wood after them. You see no,
I fear that even now, Watson, I have always done
you an injustice. There are others. What could this N? N?
Is it the end of a word? You are aware
that Johann Faber is the most common maker's name. Is
it not clear that there is just as much of
the pencil left as usually follows the Johan. He held
the small table sideways to the electric light. I was
hoping that if the paper on which he wrote was thin,
some trace of it might have come through upon this
polished surface. No, I see nothing. I don't think there
is anything more to be learned here now for the
central table. This small pellet is I presume the black
doughy mass you spoke of roughly pyramidal in shape and
hollowed out. I perceive, as you say, there appear to
be grains of sawdust in it. Dear me, this is
very interesting, and the cut a positive tear. I see
it began with a thin scratch and ended in a
jagged hole. I am much indebted to you for directing
my attention to this case. Mister Solmes, Where does that
door lead to to my bedroom? Have you been in
it since your adventure? No? I came straight away for you.
I should like to have a glance around. What a
charming old fashioned room. Perhaps you will kindly wait a
minute until I have examined the floor. No, I see nothing.
What about this curtain you hang your clothes behind it?
If any one were forced to conceal himself in this room,
he must do it there, since the bed is too
low and the wardrobe too shallow. No one there, I suppose.
As Holmes drew the curtain, I was aware, from some
little rigidity and alertness of his attitude, that he was
prepared for an emergency. As a matter of fact, the
drawn curtain disclosed nothing but three or four suits of
clothes hanging from a line of pegs. Holmes turned away
and stooped suddenly to the floor. Hello, what's this? Said he?
It was a small pyramid of black putty like stuff,
exactly like the one upon the table of the study.
Holmes held it in his open palm in the glare
of the electric light. Your visitor seems to have left
traces in your bedroom as well as in your sitting room.
Mister Solmes, What could he have wanted there? I think
it is clear enough you came back by an unexpected way,
and so he had no warning until you were at
the very door. What could he do? He caught up
everything which would betray him, and he rushed into your
bedroom to conceal himself. Good gracious, mister Holmes. Do you
mean to tell me that all the time I was
talking to Banister in this room we had the man
prisoner if we'd only known it, so I read it.
Surely there's another alternative, mister Holmes. I don't know whether
you observe my bedroom window lattice paned led framework, three
separate windows, one swinging on hinge and large enough to
admit a man exactly, and it looks out on an
angle of the courtyard, so as to be partly invisible.
The man might have effected his entrance there, left traces
as he passed through the bedroom, and, finally, finding the
door open, have escaped that way. Holmes shook his head impatiently.
Let us be practical, said he. I understand you to
say that there are these three students who use this
stair and are in the habit of passing your door. Yes,
there are, and they are all in for this examination. Yes,
have you any reason to suspect any one of them
more than the others? Solmes hesitated. It is a very
delicate question, said he. One hardly likes to throw suspicion
where there are no proofs. Let us hear the suspicions.
I will look after the proofs. I will tell you then,
in a few words, the character of the three men
who inhabit these rooms. The low of the three is Gilchrist,
a fine scholar and athlete. Plays in the rugby team
and the cricket team for the college, and got his
blue for the hurdles and the long jump. He is
a fine manly fellow. His father was the notorious Sir
Jaybez Gilchrist, who ruined himself on the turf. My scholar
has been left very poor, but he's hard working and industrious.
He will do well. The second floor is inhabited by
dalut Rass the Indian. He is a quiet, inscrutable fellow,
as most of those Indians are. He is well up
in his work, though his Greek is his weak subject.
He is steady and methodical. The top floor belongs to
Miles McLaren. He is a brilliant fellow when he chooses
to work, one of the brightest intellects of the university,
but he is wayward, dissipated, and unprincipled. He was nearly
expelled over a card scandal in his first year. He's
been idling all this term, and he must look forward
with dread to the examination. Then it is he whom
you suspect. I dare not go so far as that.
But of the three, he is perhaps the least unlikely.
Exactly now, mister Solmes, let us have a look at
your servant banister. He was a little, white faced, clean shaven,
grisly haired fellow of fifty. He was still suffering from
this sudden disturbance of the quiet routine of his life.
His plump face was twitching with his nervousness, and his
fingers could not keep still. We were investigating this unhappy
busines banister, said his master. Yes, sir, I understand, said Holmes,
that you left your key in the door. Yes, sir,
Was it not very extraordinary that you should do this
on the very day when there were these papers inside?
It was most unfortunate, sir. But I have occasionally done
the same thing at other times. When did you enter
the room? It was about half plus four, that is
mister Solme's tea time. And how long did you stay
when I saw that he was absent? I was true
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 a tea tray in my hand,
and I thought I'd come back for the key. Then
I forgot. Has the outer door a spring lock? No, sir,
Then it was open all the time, yes, sir, any
one in the room could get out, Yes, sir. When
mister Solmes returned and called for you, you were very
much disturbed, Yes, sir, such a thing has never happened
during the many years that I've 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 yonder near 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, mister Holmes. He was 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 to my room. Whom do you suspect? Oh?
I would not venture to say, sir, I don't believe
there is any gentleman in this university who is capable
of profiting by such an action. No, sir, I'll not
believe it. Thank you. That'll do, said Holmes. Oh one
more word. You have not mentioned to any of the
three gentlemen whom you attend that anything is amiss, No, sir,
not a word. You haven't seen any of them, No, sir,
Very good. Now, mister Solmes, we will take a walk
in the quadrangle if you please. Three yellow squares of
light shone above us in the gathering gloom. Your three
birds are all in their nests, said Holmes, looking up HALLO,
what's that? One of them seems restless enough. It was
the Indian whose dark silhouette appeared suddenly upon his blind
He was pacing swiftly up and down his room. I
should like to have a peep at each of them,
said Holmes. Is it possible, No difficulty in the world,
Solmes answered. This set of rooms is quite the oldest
in the college, and it is not unusual for visitors
to go over them. Come along and I will personally
conduct you. No names, please, said Holmes. As we knocked
at Gilchrist's door, a tall, flaxen haired, slim young fellow
opened it and made us welcome when he understood our
errand there were some really curious pieces of medieval domestic
architecture within. Holmes was so charmed with one of them
that he insisted on drawing it in his note book,
broke his pencil, had to borrow one from our host,
and finally borrowed a knife to sharpen his own. The
same curious accident happened to him in the rooms of
the Indian, a silent, little hook nosed fellow who eyed
us askance and was obviously glad when Holmes's architectural studies
had come to an end. I could not see that
in either case Holmes had come upon the clue for
which he was searching. Only at the third did our
visit prove abortive. The outer door would not open to
our knock, and nothing more substantial than a torrent of
bad language came from behind it. I don't care who
you are. You can go to Blazes, roared the angry voice.
Tomorrow is exam, and I won't be drawn by any one.
A rude fellow, said our guide, flushing with anger, as
we withdrew down the stair. Of course, he did not
realize that it was I who was knocking, 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,
mister Holmes, I cannot undertake to say he is taller
than the Indian, not so tall as Gilchrist. I suppose
five foot six would be about it. That is very important,
said Holmes, and now, mister Solmes, I wish you good night,
our guide cried aloud in his astonishment and dismay. Good gracious,
mister Holmes, you are surely not going to leave me
in this abrupt fashion. You don't seem to realize the
position to morrow is the examination. I must take some
definite action to night. I cannot allow the examination to
be held if one of the papers has been tampered with.
The situation must be faced. You must leave it as
it is. I shall drop round early to morrow morning
and chat the matter over. It is possible that I
may be in a position then to indicate some course
of action. Meanwhile, you change nothing, nothing at all. Very good,
mister Holmes. You can be perfectly easy in your mind.
We shall certainly find some way out of your difficulties.
I will take the black clay with me, also the
pencil cuttings. Goodbye. When we were out in the darkness
of the quadrangle, we again looked up at the windows.
The Indians still paced his room, the others were invisible. Well, Watson,
what do you think of it? Holmes asked, as we
came out into the main street. Quite a little parlor game,
a sort of three card trick, is it not? There
are your three men, it must be one of them.
You take your choice, which is yours? The owlmouth fellow
at the top, he's one with the worst record. And
yet that Indian was a sly fellow. Also, why should
he be pacing his room all the time? There is
nothing in that. Many men do it when you trying
to 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 you were preparing for
an examination next day, and every moment was of value? No,
I see nothing in that. Pencils too, and knives all
was satisfactory. But that fellow does puzzle me. Who why
banister 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 perfectly
honest man? Well, well, here's a large stationers. We shall
begin our researches here. There were only four stationers of
any consequence in the town, and at each Holmes produced
his pencil chips and bid. All were agreed that one
could be ordered. But it was not a usual size
of pencil, and that it was seldom kept in stock.
My friend did not appear to be depressed by his failure,
but shrugged his shoulders in half humorous resignation. No good,
my dear Watson, This the best and only final clue,
has run to nothing. But indeed I have little doubt
that we can build up a sufficient case without it.
By Jove, my dear fellow, it is nearly nine, and
the landlady babbled of green peas at seven thirty. What
with your eternal tobacco, Watson, and your irregularity at meals,
I expect that you will get notice to quit, and
that I shall share your downfall. Not, however, before we
have solved the problem of the nervous tutor, the careless servant,
and the three enterprising students. Holmes made no further allusion
to the matter that day, though he sat lost in
thought for a long time. After our belated dinner. At
eight in the morning, he came into my room just
as I finished my toilet. Well, Watson said he, it
is time we went down to Saint Luke's. Can you
do without breakfast? Certainly, Solmes will be in a dreadful
fidget until we are able to tell him something positive.
Have you anything positive to tell him? I think so
you have formed a conclusion. Yes, my dear Watson, I
have solved the mystery. But what fresh evidence could you
have got? Ah? It is not for nothing that I
have turned myself out of bed at the untimely hour
of six. I've put in two hours hard work and
covered at least five miles with something to show for it.
Look at that he held out his hand on the
palm were three little pyramids of black doughy clay. Why, Holmes,
you only had two yesterday and one more this morning.
It is a fair argument that wherever number three came
from is also the source of numbers one and two. Eh, Watson,
well come along and put friend Solmes out of his pain.
The unfortunate tutor was certainly in a state of pitiable
agitation when we found him in his chambers. In a
few hours the examination would commence, and he was still
in the dilemma between making the facts public and allowing
the culprit to compete for the valuable scholarship. He could
hardly stand still, so great was his mental agitation, and
he ran towards homes with two eager hands outstretched. Thank
Heaven that you've come. I feared that you had given
it up in despair? What am I to do? Shall
examination proceed? Yes, let it proceed by all means. But
this rascal he shall not compete, you know him? I
think so. If this matter is not to become public,
we must give ourselves certain powers and resolve ourselves into
a small private court martial. You there, if you please, Solmes, Watson,
you here, I'll take the arm chair in the middle.
I think that we're now sufficiently imposing to strike terror
into a guilty breast. Kindly ring the bell, Banister entered
and shrank back in evidence surprise and fear at our
judicial appearance. You will kindly close the door, said Holmes. Now, banister,
will you please tell us the truth about yesterday's incident?
The man turned white to the roots of his hair.
I've told you everything, sir, nothing to add, nothing at all, sir. Well,
then I must make some suggestions to you. When you
sat down on that chair yesterday, did you do so
in order to conceal some object which would have shown
who had been in the room. Banister's face was ghastly. No, sir,
certainly not. It is only a suggestion, said Holmes, suavely.
I frankly admit that I am unable to prove it,
but it seems probably enough. Since the moment that mister
Solmes's back was turned, you released the man who was
hiding in that bedroom. Banister licked his dry lips. There
was no man, sir, ah, that's a pity. Banister. Up
to now you may have spoken the truth, but now
I know that you have lied. The man's face set
in sullen defiance. There was no man, sir. Come, come, banister, No, sir,
there was no one in that case. You can give
us no further information, would if you please remain in
the room stand over there near the bedroom door. Now, Solmes,
I am going to ask you to have the great
kindness to go up to the room of young Gilchrist
and to ask him to step down into yours. An
instant later, the tutor returned, bringing with him the student.
He was a fine figure of a man, tall, lithe
and agile, with a springy step and a pleasant open face.
His troubled blue eyes glanced at each of us, and
finally rested with an expression of blank dismay upon Banister
in the farther corner. Just close the door, said Holmes. Now,
mister Gilcrist, we are all quite alone here, and no
one need ever know one word of what passes between us.
We can be perfectly frank with each other. We want
to know, mister Gilchrist, how you, an honorable man, ever
came to commit such an action as that of yesterday.
The unfortunate young man staggered back and cast a look
full of horror and reproach at Banister. No, no, mister Gilcrist, Sir,
I never said a word, Never one word, cried the servant. No.
But you have now, said Holmes. Now, sir, you must
see that after Banister's words, your position is hopeless, and
that your only chance lies in a frank confession. For
a moment, Gilchrist, with upraised hand, tried to control his
writhing features. The next he had thrown himself on his
knees beside the table, and burying his face in his hands,
he had burst into a storm of passionate sobbing. Come, Come,
said Holmes, kindly. It is human to err, and at
least no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal.
Perhaps it would be easier for you. If I were
to tell mister Solmes what occurred, and you can check
me where I am wrong, shall I do so? Well? Well,
don't trouble to answer. Listen and see that I do
you no injustice. From the moment, mister Solmes, that you
said to me that no one, not even banister, could
have told that the papers were in your room, the
case began to take a definite shape in my mind.
The printer one could of course dismiss he could examine
the papers in his own office. The Indian I also
thought nothing of if the proofs were in a roll,
he could not possibly know what they were. On the
other hand, it seemed an unthinkable coincidence that a man
should dare to enter the room, and that, by chance,
on that very day, the papers were on the table.
I dismissed that the man who entered knew that the
papers were there? How did he know? When I approached
your room, I examined a window. You amused me by
supposing that I was contemplating the possibility of some one having,
in broad day daylight, under the eyes of all these
opposite rooms, forced himself through it. Such an idea was absurd.
I was measuring how tall a man would need to
be in order to see as he passed what papers
were on the central table. I am six feet high,
and I could do it without an effort. No one
less than that would have a chance. Already, you see,
I had reason to think that if one of your
three students was a man of unusual height, he was
the most worth watching of the three. I entered, and
I took you into my confidence. As to the suggestions
of the side table of the center table. I could
make nothing until in your description of Gilchrist you mentioned
that he was a long distance jumper. Then the whole
thing came to me in an instant, and I only
needed certain corroborative proofs, which I speedily obtained. What happened
with this? This young fellow had employed his afternoon at
the athletic grounds, where he had been practicing the jump.
He returned carrying his jumping shoes, which are provided, as
you are aware, with several sharp spikes. As he passed
your window, he saw, by means of his great height,
these proofs upon your table and conjectured what they were.
No harm would have been done had it not been
that as he passed your door he perceived the key,
which had been left by the carelessness of your servant.
A sudden impulse came over him to enter and see
if they were indeed the proofs. It was not a
dangerous exploit, for he could always pretend that he had
simply looked in to ask a question. Well, when he
saw that they were indeed the proofs, it was then
that he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on
the table. What was it you put on that chair
near the window, gloves, said the young man home looked
triumphantly at banister. He put his gloves on the chair,
and he took the proofs sheet by sheet to copy them.
He thought the tutor must return by the main gate,
and that he would see him. As we know, he
came back by the side gate. Suddenly he heard him
at the very door. There was no possible escape. He
forgot his gloves, but he caught up his shoes and
darted into the bedroom. You observed that the scratch on
that table is slight at one side, but deepens in
the direction of the bedroom door. That in itself is
enough to show us that the shoe had been drawn
in that direction, and that the culprit had taken refuge there.
The earth round the spike had been left on the table,
and a second sample was loosened and fell into the bedroom.
I may add that I walked out to the athletic
grounds this morning, saw that tenacious black clay is used
in the jumping pit, and carried away a specimen of it,
together with some of the fine tan or sawdust, which
is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from slipping.
Have I told the truth, mister Gilchrist The student had
drawn himself erect? Yes, sir, it is true, said he
good Heavens. Have you nothing to add, cried Solmes, Yes, sir,
I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has
bewildered me. I have a letter here, mister Solmes, which
I wrote to you early this morning, in the middle
of a restless night. It was before I knew that
my sin had found me out here. It is, sir.
You will see that I have said I have determined
not to go in for the examination. I have been
offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police, and I am
going out to South Africa at once. I am indeed
pleased to hear that you did not intend to profit
by your unfair advantage, said Solmes, But why did you
change your purpose? Gilchrist pointed to Banister, there is the
man who set me in the right path, said he.
Come now, banister, said Holmes, it will be clear to
you from what I have said that only you could
have let this young man out, since you were left
in the room and must have locked the door when
you went out. As to his escaping by that window,
it was incredible. Can you not clear up the last
point in this mystery and tell us the reasons for
your action? It was simply enough, sir, if you only
had known. But with all your cleverness, it was impossible
that you could know. Time was, sir, when I was
butler tot old Sir Jabers Gilcrist, this young gentleman's father,
when he was ruined. I came to the college a servant,
but I never forgot my old employer because he was
down in the world. I watched his son all I could,
for the sake of the old days. Well, Sir, when
I came into this room yesterday when the alarm was given,
the very first thing I saw was mister Gilchrist, and
gloves are lying in that chair. I knew those gloves well,
and I understood their message. If mister Solmes saw them,
the game was up. I flopped down into that chair
and nothing would budge me until mister Solmes he went
for you. Then out came my poor young master, whom
I dandled on my knee and confessed it all to me.
Wasn't it natural, sir, that I should save him? And
wasn't it natural also that I should try to speak
to him as his dead father would have done and
make him understand that he could not profit by such
a deed. Could you blame me, sir? No, indeed, said Holmes, heartily,
springing to his feet. Well, Solmes, I think we've cleared
your little problem up, and our breakfast awaits us at home.
Come Watson. As to you, sir, I trust that a
bright future awaits you in Rhodesia, for once you have
fallen low, let us see in the future how high
you can rise. End of the Adventure of the Three Students.