<s> IT WAS IN THE YEAR NINETY FIVE THAT A COMBINATION OF EVENTS INTO WHICH I NEED NOT ENTER CAUSED MR. 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 </s><s> 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 </s><s> SO PAINFUL A SCANDAL MAY WELL BE ALLOWED TO DIE OUT </s><s> WITH DUE DISCRETION THE INCIDENT ITSELF MAY HOWEVER BE DESCRIBED SINCE IT SERVES TO ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THOSE QUALITIES FOR WHICH MY FRIEND WAS REMARKABLE </s><s> I WILL ENDEAVOUR 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 </s><s> WE WERE RESIDING AT THE TIME IN FURNISHED LODGINGS CLOSE TO A LIBRARY WHERE SHERLOCK HOLMES 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 </s><s> HERE IT WAS THAT ONE EVENING WE RECEIVED A VISIT FROM AN ACQUAINTANCE MR. HILTON SOAMES TUTOR AND LECTURER AT THE COLLEGE OF SAINT LUKE'S </s><s> MR. SOAMES WAS A TALL SPARE MAN OF A NERVOUS AND EXCITABLE TEMPERAMENT </s><s> 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 </s><s> QUOTE I TRUST MR. HOLMES THAT YOU CAN SPARE ME A FEW HOURS OF YOUR VALUABLE TIME </s><s> 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 </s><s> I AM VERY BUSY JUST NOW AND I DESIRE NO DISTRACTIONS MY FRIEND ANSWERED </s><s> I SHOULD MUCH PREFER THAT YOU CALLED IN THE AID OF THE POLICE </s><s> NO NO MY DEAR SIR SUCH A COURSE IS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE </s><s> 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 </s><s> YOUR DISCRETION IS AS WELL KNOWN AS YOUR POWERS AND YOU ARE THE ONE MAN IN THE WORLD WHO CAN HELP ME </s><s> I BEG YOU MR. HOLMES TO DO WHAT YOU CAN </s><s> MY FRIEND'S TEMPER HAD NOT IMPROVED SINCE HE HAD BEEN DEPRIVED OF THE CONGENIAL SURROUNDINGS OF BAKER STREET </s><s> WITHOUT HIS SCRAPBOOKS HIS CHEMICALS AND HIS HOMELY UNTIDINESS HE WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE MAN </s><s> HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS IN UNGRACIOUS ACQUIESCENCE WHILE OUR VISITOR IN HURRIED WORDS AND WITH MUCH EXCITABLE GESTICULATION POURED FORTH HIS STORY </s><s> QUOTE I MUST EXPLAIN TO YOU MR. HOLMES THAT TO MORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE EXAMINATION FOR THE FORTESCUE SCHOLARSHIP </s><s> I AM ONE OF THE EXAMINERS </s><s> MY SUBJECT IS GREEK AND THE FIRST OF THE PAPERS CONSISTS OF A LARGE PASSAGE OF GREEK TRANSLATION WHICH THE CANDIDATE HAS NOT SEEN </s><s> THIS PASSAGE IS PRINTED ON THE EXAMINATION PAPER AND IT WOULD NATURALLY BE AN IMMENSE ADVANTAGE IF THE CANDIDATE COULD PREPARE IT IN ADVANCE </s><s> FOR THIS REASON GREAT CARE IS TAKEN TO KEEP THE PAPER SECRET </s><s> TO DAY ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK THE PROOFS OF THIS PAPER ARRIVED FROM THE PRINTERS </s><s> THE EXERCISE CONSISTS OF HALF A CHAPTER OF THUCYDIDES </s><s> I HAD TO READ IT OVER CAREFULLY AS THE TEXT MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT </s><s> AT FOUR THIRTY MY TASK WAS NOT YET COMPLETED </s><s> I HAD HOWEVER PROMISED TO TAKE TEA IN A FRIEND'S ROOMS SO I LEFT THE PROOF UPON MY DESK </s><s> I WAS ABSENT RATHER MORE THAN AN HOUR </s><s> YOU ARE AWARE MR. HOLMES THAT OUR COLLEGE DOORS ARE DOUBLE A GREEN BAIZE ONE WITHIN AND A HEAVY OAK ONE WITHOUT </s><s> AS I APPROACHED MY OUTER DOOR I WAS AMAZED TO SEE A KEY IN IT </s><s> 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 </s><s> THE ONLY DUPLICATE WHICH EXISTED SO FAR AS I KNEW WAS THAT WHICH BELONGED TO MY SERVANT BANNISTER A MAN WHO HAS LOOKED AFTER MY ROOM FOR TEN YEARS AND WHOSE HONESTY IS ABSOLUTELY ABOVE SUSPICION </s><s> I FOUND THAT THE KEY 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 </s><s> HIS VISIT TO MY ROOM MUST HAVE BEEN WITHIN A VERY FEW MINUTES OF MY LEAVING IT </s><s> 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 </s><s> THE MOMENT I LOOKED AT MY TABLE I WAS AWARE THAT SOMEONE HAD RUMMAGED AMONG MY PAPERS </s><s> THE PROOF WAS IN THREE LONG SLIPS </s><s> I HAD LEFT THEM ALL TOGETHER </s><s> 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 </s><s> HOLMES STIRRED FOR THE FIRST TIME </s><s> THE FIRST PAGE ON THE FLOOR THE SECOND IN THE WINDOW THE THIRD WHERE YOU LEFT IT SAID HE </s><s> QUOTE EXACTLY MR. HOLMES </s><s> YOU AMAZE ME </s><s> HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW THAT </s><s> PRAY CONTINUE YOUR VERY INTERESTING STATEMENT </s><s> FOR AN INSTANT I IMAGINED THAT BANNISTER HAD TAKEN THE UNPARDONABLE LIBERTY OF EXAMINING MY PAPERS </s><s> HE DENIED IT HOWEVER WITH THE UTMOST EARNESTNESS AND I AM CONVINCED THAT HE WAS SPEAKING THE TRUTH </s><s> THE ALTERNATIVE WAS THAT SOMEONE PASSING HAD OBSERVED THE KEY IN THE DOOR HAD KNOWN THAT I WAS OUT AND HAD ENTERED TO LOOK AT THE PAPERS </s><s> 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 </s><s> BANNISTER WAS VERY MUCH UPSET BY THE INCIDENT </s><s> HE HAD NEARLY FAINTED WHEN WE FOUND THAT THE PAPERS HAD UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN TAMPERED WITH </s><s> I GAVE HIM A LITTLE BRANDY AND LEFT HIM COLLAPSED IN A CHAIR WHILE I MADE A MOST CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE ROOM </s><s> I SOON SAW THAT THE INTRUDER HAD LEFT OTHER TRACES OF HIS PRESENCE BESIDES THE RUMPLED PAPERS </s><s> ON THE TABLE IN THE WINDOW WERE SEVERAL SHREDS FROM A PENCIL WHICH HAD BEEN SHARPENED </s><s> A BROKEN TIP OF LEAD WAS LYING THERE ALSO </s><s> 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 </s><s> QUOTE EXCELLENT QUOTE SAID HOLMES WHO WAS RECOVERING HIS GOODHUMOUR AS HIS ATTENTION BECAME MORE ENGROSSED BY THE CASE </s><s> FORTUNE HAS BEEN YOUR FRIEND </s><s> THIS WAS NOT ALL </s><s> I HAVE A NEW WRITING TABLE WITH A FINE SURFACE OF RED LEATHER </s><s> I AM PREPARED TO SWEAR AND SO IS BANNISTER THAT IT WAS SMOOTH AND UNSTAINED </s><s> NOW I FOUND A CLEAN CUT IN IT ABOUT THREE INCHES LONG NOT A MERE SCRATCH BUT A POSITIVE CUT </s><s> 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 </s><s> I AM CONVINCED THAT THESE MARKS WERE LEFT BY THE MAN WHO RIFLED THE PAPERS </s><s> THERE WERE NO FOOTMARKS AND NO OTHER EVIDENCE AS TO HIS IDENTITY </s><s> I WAS AT MY WIT'S END WHEN SUDDENLY THE HAPPY THOUGHT OCCURRED TO ME THAT YOU WERE IN THE TOWN AND I CAME STRAIGHT ROUND TO PUT THE MATTER INTO YOUR HANDS </s><s> DO HELP ME MR. HOLMES </s><s> YOU SEE MY DILEMMA </s><s> 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 </s><s> ABOVE ALL THINGS I DESIRE TO SETTLE THE MATTER QUIETLY AND DISCREETLY </s><s> 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 </s><s> THE CASE IS NOT ENTIRELY DEVOID OF INTEREST </s><s> HAD ANYONE VISITED YOU IN YOUR ROOM AFTER THE PAPERS CAME TO YOU QUOTE </s><s> YES YOUNG DAULAT RAS AN INDIAN STUDENT WHO LIVES ON THE SAME STAIR CAME IN TO ASK ME SOME PARTICULARS ABOUT THE EXAMINATION </s><s> FOR WHICH HE WAS ENTERED </s><s> YES </s><s> AND THE PAPERS WERE ON YOUR TABLE </s><s> TO THE BEST OF MY BELIEF THEY WERE ROLLED UP </s><s> QUOTE BUT MIGHT BE RECOGNIZED AS PROOFS QUOTE </s><s> POSSIBLY </s><s> NO ONE ELSE IN YOUR ROOM </s><s> NUMBER </s><s> DID ANYONE KNOW THAT THESE PROOFS WOULD BE THERE </s><s> NO ONE SAVE THE PRINTER </s><s> QUOTE DID THIS MAN BANNISTER KNOW QUOTE </s><s> NO CERTAINLY NOT </s><s> NO ONE KNEW </s><s> WHERE IS BANNISTER NOW </s><s> HE WAS VERY ILL POOR FELLOW </s><s> I LEFT HIM COLLAPSED IN THE CHAIR </s><s> I WAS IN SUCH A HURRY TO COME TO YOU </s><s> QUOTE YOU LEFT YOUR DOOR OPEN QUOTE </s><s> I LOCKED UP THE PAPERS FIRST </s><s> THEN IT AMOUNTS TO THIS MR. SOAMES 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 </s><s> SO IT SEEMS TO ME </s><s> HOLMES GAVE AN ENIGMATIC SMILE </s><s> WELL SAID HE. LET US GO ROUND </s><s> NOT ONE OF YOUR CASES </s><s> WATSON MENTAL NOT PHYSICAL </s><s> ALL RIGHT COME IF YOU WANT TO </s><s> NOW MR. SOAMES AT YOUR DISPOSAL </s><s> THE SITTING ROOM OF OUR CLIENT OPENED BY A LONG LOW LATTICED WINDOW ON TO THE ANCIENT LICHEN TINTED COURT OF THE OLD COLLEGE </s><s> A GOTHIC ARCHED DOOR LED TO A WORN STONE STAIRCASE </s><s> ON THE GROUND FLOOR WAS THE TUTOR'S ROOM </s><s> ABOVE WERE THREE STUDENTS ONE ON EACH STORY </s><s> IT WAS ALREADY TWILIGHT WHEN WE REACHED THE SCENE OF OUR PROBLEM </s><s> HOLMES HALTED AND LOOKED EARNESTLY AT THE WINDOW </s><s> THEN HE APPROACHED IT AND STANDING ON TIPTOE WITH HIS NECK CRANED HE LOOKED INTO THE ROOM </s><s> QUOTE HE MUST HAVE ENTERED THROUGH THE DOOR </s><s> THERE IS NO OPENING EXCEPT THE ONE PANE SAID OUR LEARNED GUIDE </s><s> DEAR ME SAID HOLMES AND HE SMILED IN A SINGULAR WAY AS HE GLANCED AT OUR COMPANION </s><s> WELL IF THERE IS NOTHING TO BE LEARNED HERE WE HAD BEST GO INSIDE </s><s> THE LECTURER UNLOCKED THE OUTER DOOR AND USHERED US INTO HIS ROOM </s><s> WE STOOD AT THE ENTRANCE WHILE HOLMES MADE AN EXAMINATION OF THE CARPET </s><s> I AM AFRAID THERE ARE NO SIGNS HERE SAID HE </s><s> ONE COULD HARDLY HOPE FOR ANY UPON SO DRY A DAY </s><s> YOUR SERVANT SEEMS TO HAVE QUITE RECOVERED </s><s> YOU LEFT HIM IN A CHAIR YOU SAY </s><s> WHICH CHAIR QUOTE </s><s> BY THE WINDOW THERE </s><s> I SEE </s><s> NEAR THIS LITTLE TABLE </s><s> YOU CAN COME IN NOW </s><s> I HAVE FINISHED WITH THE CARPET </s><s> LET US TAKE THE LITTLE TABLE FIRST </s><s> OF COURSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS VERY CLEAR </s><s> THE MAN ENTERED AND TOOK THE PAPERS SHEET BY SHEET FROM THE CENTRAL TABLE </s><s> HE CARRIED THEM OVER TO THE WINDOW TABLE BECAUSE FROM THERE HE COULD SEE IF YOU CAME ACROSS THE COURTYARD AND SO COULD EFFECT AN ESCAPE </s><s> AS A MATTER OF FACT HE COULD NOT SAID SOAMES FOR I ENTERED BY THE SIDE DOOR </s><s> AH THAT'S GOOD </s><s> WELL ANYHOW THAT WAS IN HIS MIND </s><s> LET ME SEE THE THREE STRIPS </s><s> NO FINGER IMPRESSIONS NO </s><s> WELL HE CARRIED OVER THIS ONE FIRST AND HE COPIED IT </s><s> HOW LONG WOUID IT TAKE HIM TO DO THAT USING EVERY POSSIBLE CONTRACTION </s><s> A QUARTER OF AN HOUR NOT LESS </s><s> THEN HE TOSSED IT DOWN AND SEIZED THE NEXT </s><s> HE WAS IN THE MIDST OF THAT WHEN YOUR RETURN CAUSED HIM TO MAKE A VERY HURRIED RETREAT VERY HURRIED SINCE HE HAD NOT TIME TO REPLACE THE PAPERS WHICH WOULD TELL YOU THAT HE HAD BEEN THERE </s><s> YOU WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY HURRYING FEET ON THE STAIR AS YOU ENTERED THE OUTER DOOR QUOTE </s><s> NO I CAN'T SAY I WAS </s><s> WELL HE WROTE SO FURIOUSLY THAT HE BROKE HIS PENCIL AND HAD AS YOU OBSERVE TO SHARPEN IT AGAIN </s><s> THIS IS OF INTEREST WATSON </s><s> THE PENCIL WAS NOT AN ORDINARY ONE </s><s> IT WAS ABOVE THE USUAL SIZE WITH A SOFT LEAD THE OUTER COLOUR WAS DARK BLUE THE MAKER'S NAME WAS PRINTED IN SILVER LETTERING AND THE PIECE REMAINING IS ONLY ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF LONG </s><s> LOOK FOR SUCH A PENCIL MR. SOAMES AND YOU HAVE GOT YOUR MAN </s><s> WHEN I ADD THAT HE POSSESSES A LARGE AND VERY BLUNT KNIFE YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL AID </s><s> MR. SOAMES WAS SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMED BY THIS FLOOD OF INFORMATION </s><s> I CAN FOLLOW THE OTHER POINTS SAID HE BUT REALLY IN THIS MATTER OF THE LENGTH </s><s> HOLMES HELD OUT A SMALL CHIP WITH THE LETTERS NN AND A SPACE OF CLEAR WOOD AFTER THEM </s><s> YOU SEE </s><s> QUOTE WATSON I HAVE ALWAYS DONE YOU AN INJUSTICE </s><s> THERE ARE OTHERS </s><s> WHAT COULD THIS NN BE </s><s> IT IS AT THE END OF A WORD </s><s> YOU ARE AWARE THAT JOHANN FABER IS THE MOST COMMON MAKER'S NAME </s><s> IS IT NOT CLEAR THAT THERE IS JUST AS MUCH OF THE PENCIL LEFT AS USUALLY FOLLOWS THE JOHANN </s><s> HE HELD THE SMALL TABLE SIDEWAYS TO THE ELECTRIC LIGHT </s><s> I WAS HOPING THAT IF THE PAPER ON WHICH HE WROTE WAS THIN SOME TRACE OF IT MIGHT COME THROUGH UPON THIS POLISHED SURFACE </s><s> NO I SEE NOTHING </s><s> I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING MORE TO BE LEARNED HERE </s><s> NOW FOR THE CENTRAL TABLE </s><s> THIS SMALL PELLET IS I PRESUME THE BLACK DOUGHY MASS YOU SPOKE OF </s><s> ROUGHLY PYRAMIDAL IN SHAPE AND HOLLOWED OUT I PERCEIVE </s><s> AS YOU SAY THERE APPEAR TO BE GRAINS OF SAWDUST IN IT </s><s> DEAR ME THIS IS VERY INTERESTING </s><s> AND THE CUT A POSITIVE TEAR I SEE </s><s> IT BEGAN WITH A THIN SCRATCH AND ENDED IN A JAGGED HOLE </s><s> I AM MUCH INDEBTED TO YOU FOR DIRECTING MY ATTENTION TO THIS CASE MR. SOAMES </s><s> WHERE DOES THAT DOOR LEAD TO </s><s> TO MY BEDROOM </s><s> HAVE YOU BEEN IN IT SINCE YOUR ADVENTURE </s><s> QUOTE NO I CAME STRAIGHT AWAY FOR YOU QUOTE </s><s> I SHOULD LIKE TO HAVE A GLANCE ROUND </s><s> WHAT A CHARMING OLD FASHIONED ROOM </s><s> PERHAPS YOU WILL KINDLY WAIT A MINUTE UNTIL I HAVE EXAMINED THE FLOOR </s><s> NO I SEE NOTHING </s>