spect any one of them more than
the others?"
soames 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 lower 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 jabez
gilchrist, who ruined himself on the turf. my scholar has
been left very poor, but he is hard-working and
industrious. he will do well.
"the second floor is inhabited by daulat ras, 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 has 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, mr. soames, let us have a look at your
servant, bannister."
he was a little, white-faced, clean-shaven, grizzly-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 are investigating this unhappy business, bannister,"
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-past four. that is mr. soames's 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 for the 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 very
much disturbed?"
"yes, sir. such a thing has never happened during the many
years that 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
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, mr. 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 will 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, mr. soames, 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. "halloa! 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," soames 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 mediaeval
{1} domestic architecture within. holmes was so charmed
with one of them that he insisted
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