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33 The Three Students from The Return of Sherlock Ho · Sherlock Holmes

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Speaker 1: A Magpie Audio production The Adventure of the Three Students.
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Speaker 1: It was in the year ninety five that a combination
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Speaker 1: of events into which I need not enter caused mister
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Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes and myself to spend some weeks in one
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Speaker 1: of our great university towns. And it was during this
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Speaker 1: time that the small but instructive adventure which I am
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Speaker 1: about to relate befellers. It will be obvious that any
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Speaker 1: details which would help the reader exactly to identify the
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Speaker 1: college or the criminal would be injudicious and offensive. So
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Speaker 1: painful a scandal may well be allowed to die out
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Speaker 1: with due discretion. The incident itself may, however, be described,
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Speaker 1: since it serves to illustrate some of those qualities for
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Speaker 1: which my friend was remarkable. I will endeavor in my
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Speaker 1: statement to avoid such terms as would serve to limit
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Speaker 1: the events to any particular place or give a clue
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Speaker 1: as to the people concerned. We were residing at the
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Speaker 1: time in furnished lodgings close to a library where Sherlock
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Speaker 1: Holmes was pursuing some laborious researches into early English charters,
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Speaker 1: researches which led to results so striking that they may
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Speaker 1: be the subject of one of my future narratives. Here.
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Speaker 1: It was that one evening we received a visit from
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Speaker 1: an acquaintance, mister Hilton Solmes, tutor and lecturer at the
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Speaker 1: College of Saint Luke's. Mister Solmes was a tall, spare
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Speaker 1: man of a nervous and excitable temperament. I had always
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Speaker 1: known him to be restless in his manner, but on
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Speaker 1: this particular occasion he was in such a state of
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Speaker 1: uncontrollable agitation that it was clear something very unusual had occurred.
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Speaker 1: I trust, mister Holmes, that you can spare me a
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Speaker 1: few hours of your valuable time. We have had a
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Speaker 1: very painful incident at Saint Luke's, and really, but for
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Speaker 1: the happy chance of your being in town, I should
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Speaker 1: have been at a loss what to do. I am
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Speaker 1: very busy just now, and I desire no distractions, my
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Speaker 1: friend answered, I should much prefer that you call in
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Speaker 1: the aid of the police. No, no, my dear sir.
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Speaker 1: Such a course is utterly impossible, when once the law
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Speaker 1: is evoked, it cannot be stayed again. And this is
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Speaker 1: just one of those cases where, for the credit of
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Speaker 1: the college it is most essential to avoid scandal. Your
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Speaker 1: discretion is as well known as your powers, and you
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Speaker 1: are the one man in the world who can help me.
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Speaker 1: I beg you, mister Holmes, to do what you can.
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Speaker 1: My friend's temper had not improved since he had been
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Speaker 1: deprived of the congenial surroundings of Baker Street. Without his
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Speaker 1: scrap books, his chemicals, and his homely untidiness, he was
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Speaker 1: an uncomfortable man. He shrugged his shoulders in ungracious acquiescence,
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Speaker 1: while our visitor, in married words and with much excitable gesticulation,
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Speaker 1: poured forth his story. I must explain to you, mister Holmes,
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Speaker 1: that to morrow is the first day of the examination
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Speaker 1: for the Fortescue Scholarship. I am one of the examiners.
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Speaker 1: My subject is Greek, and the first of the papers
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Speaker 1: consists of a large passage of Greek translation which the
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Speaker 1: candidate has not seen. This passage is printed on the
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Speaker 1: examination paper, and it would naturally be an immense advantage
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Speaker 1: if the candidate could prepare it in advance. For this reason,
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Speaker 1: great care is taken to keep the paper secret. To day,
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Speaker 1: about three o'clock, the proofs of this paper arrived from
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Speaker 1: the printers. The exercise consists of half a chapter of Thucidides.
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Speaker 1: I had to read it over carefully, as the text
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Speaker 1: must be absolutely correct. At four thirty my task was
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Speaker 1: not yet completed. I had, however, promised to take tea
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Speaker 1: in a friend's rooms, so I left the proof upon
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Speaker 1: my desk. I was absent more than an hour. You
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Speaker 1: are aware, mister Holmes, that our college doors are double,
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Speaker 1: a green baize one within and a heavy oak one without.
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Speaker 1: As I approached my outer door, I was amazed to
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Speaker 1: see a key in it. For an instant I imagined
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Speaker 1: that I had left my own there, But on feeling
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Speaker 1: in my pocket, I found that it was all right.
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Speaker 1: The only duplicate which existed so far as I knew,
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Speaker 1: was that which belonged to my servant Banister, a man
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Speaker 1: who has looked after my room for ten years, and
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Speaker 1: whose honesty is absolutely above suspicion. I found that the
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Speaker 1: key was indeed his, that he had entered my room
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Speaker 1: to know if I wanted tea, and that he had
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Speaker 1: very carelessly left the key in the door when he
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Speaker 1: came out. His visit to my room must have been
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Speaker 1: within a very few minutes of my leaving it. His
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Speaker 1: forgetfulness about the key would have mattered little upon any
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Speaker 1: other occasion, but on this one day it has produced
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Speaker 1: the most deplorable consequences. The moment I looked at my
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Speaker 1: te I was aware that some one had rummaged among
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Speaker 1: my papers. The proof was in three long slips. I
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Speaker 1: had left them altogether. Now I found that one of
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Speaker 1: them was lying on the floor, one was on the
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Speaker 1: side table near the window, and the third was where
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Speaker 1: I left it. Homes stirred for the first time. The
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Speaker 1: first page on the floor, the second in the window,
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Speaker 1: the third where you left it, said he exactly, mister Holmes,
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Speaker 1: you amaze me. How could you possibly know that? Pray
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Speaker 1: continue your very interesting statement. For an instant I imagined
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Speaker 1: that Banister had taken the unpardonable liberty of examining my papers.
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Speaker 1: He denied it, however, with the utmost earnestness, and I
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Speaker 1: am convinced that he was speaking the truth. The alternative
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Speaker 1: was that some one passing had observed the key in
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Speaker 1: the door, had known that I was out, and had
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Speaker 1: entered to look at the papers. A large sum of
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Speaker 1: money is at stake, for the scholarship is a very
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Speaker 1: valuable one, and an unscrupulous man might very well run
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Speaker 1: a risk in order to gain an advantage over his fellows.
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Speaker 1: Banister was very much upset by the incident. He had
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Speaker 1: nearly fainted when we found that the papers had undoubtedly
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Speaker 1: been tampered with. I gave him a little brandy and
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Speaker 1: left him collapsed in a chair while I made a
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Speaker 1: most careful examination of the room. I saw that the
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Speaker 1: intruder had left other traces of his presence. Besides the
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Speaker 1: rumpled papers on the table in the window were several
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Speaker 1: shreds from a pencil which had been sharpened. A broken
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Speaker 1: tip of lead was lying there also. Evidently the rascal
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Speaker 1: had copied the paper in a great hurry, had broken
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Speaker 1: his pencil, and had been compelled to put a fresh
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Speaker 1: point to it. Excellent, said Holmes, who was recovering his
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Speaker 1: good humor as his attention became more engrossed by the case.
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Speaker 1: Fortune has been your friend. This was not all. I
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Speaker 1: have a new writing table with a fine surface of
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Speaker 1: red leather. I am prepared to swear, and so is Banister,
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Speaker 1: that it was smooth and unstained. Now I found a
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Speaker 1: clean cut in it above three inches long, not a
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Speaker 1: mere scratch, but a positive cut. Not only this, but
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Speaker 1: on the table I found a small ball of black
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Speaker 1: dough or clay, with specks of something which looks like
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Speaker 1: sawdust in it. I am convinced that these marks were
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Speaker 1: left by the man who rifled the papers. There were
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Speaker 1: no footmarks and no other evidence as to his identity.
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Speaker 1: I was at my wits end when suddenly the happy
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Speaker 1: thought occurred to me that you were in the town,
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Speaker 1: and I came straight round to put the matter into
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Speaker 1: your hands. Do help me, mister Holmes. You see my dilemma.
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Speaker 1: Either I must find the man, or else the examination
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Speaker 1: must be postponed until fresh papers are prepared. And since
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Speaker 1: this cannot be done without explanation, there will ensue a
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Speaker 1: hideous scoundal, which will throw a cloud not only on
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Speaker 1: the college, but on the University. Above all things, I
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Speaker 1: desire to settle the matter quietly and discreetly. I shall
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Speaker 1: be happy to look into it and to give you
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Speaker 1: such advice as I can. Who said Holmes, rising and
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Speaker 1: putting on his overcoat. The case is not entirely devoid
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Speaker 1: of interest. Had any one visited you in your room
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Speaker 1: after the papers came to you, Yes, Young dalat Raz,
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Speaker 1: an Indian student who lives on the same stair came
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Speaker 1: in to ask me some particulars about the examination for
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Speaker 1: which he was entered. Yes, and the papers were on
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Speaker 1: your table. To the best of my belief, they were
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Speaker 1: rolled up, but might be recognized as proofs. Possibly no
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Speaker 1: one else in your room. No, did anyone know that
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Speaker 1: these proofs would be there. No one save the printer.
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Speaker 1: Did this man Banister know? No, certainly not. No one
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Speaker 1: knew where is Banister? Now? He was very ill, poor fellow.
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Speaker 1: I left him collapsed in the chair. I was in
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Speaker 1: such a hurry to come to you. You left your
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Speaker 1: door open. I locked up the papers first. Then it
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Speaker 1: amounts to this, mister Solmes, that unless the Indian student
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Speaker 1: recognized the role as being proofs, the man who tampered
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Speaker 1: with them came upon them accidentally without knowing that they
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Speaker 1: were there. So it seems to me Holmes gave an
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Speaker 1: enigmatic smile, well said he let us go round. Not
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Speaker 1: one of your cases, Watson, mental not physical. All right,
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Speaker 1: come if you want to now, mister Solmes, at your disposal.
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Speaker 1: The sitting room of our client opened by a long,
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Speaker 1: low latticed window, and to the ancient lichened tear court
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Speaker 1: of the old College, A Gothic arched door led to
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Speaker 1: a worn stone staircase. On the ground floor was the
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Speaker 1: tutor's room. Above were three students, one on each story.
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Speaker 1: It was already twilight when we reached the scene of
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Speaker 1: our problem. Holmes halted and looked earnestly at the window.
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Speaker 1: Then he approached it, and, standing on tiptoe with his
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Speaker 1: neck craned, he looked into the room. He must have
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Speaker 1: entered through the door. There is no opening except the
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Speaker 1: one pane, said our learned guide. Dear me, said Holmes,
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Speaker 1: and he smiled in a singular way as he glanced
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Speaker 1: at our companion. Well, if there is nothing to be
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Speaker 1: learned here, we had best go inside. The lecturer unlocked
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Speaker 1: the outer door and ushered us into his room. We
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Speaker 1: stood at the entrance while Holmes made an examination of
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Speaker 1: the carpet. I am afraid there are no signs here,
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Speaker 1: said he. One could hardly hope for any upon so
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Speaker 1: dry a day. Your servant seems to have quite recovered.
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Speaker 1: You left him in a chair. You say, which chair
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Speaker 1: by the window? There? I see near this little table.
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Speaker 1: You can come in now I have finished with the carpet.
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Speaker 1: Let us take the little table first, of course, what
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Speaker 1: has happened is very clear. The man entered and took
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Speaker 1: the papers sheet by sheet from the central table. He
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Speaker 1: carried them over to the window table, because from there
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Speaker 1: he could see if you came across the courtyard, and
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Speaker 1: so could effect and escape. As a matter of fact,
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Speaker 1: he could not, said Solmes, for I entered by the
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Speaker 1: side door. Ah, that's good. Well, anyhow that was in
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Speaker 1: his mind. Let me see the three strips, no finger impressions. No, well,
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Speaker 1: he carried over this one first, and he copied it.
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Speaker 1: How long would it take him to do that, using
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Speaker 1: every possible contry? A quarter of an hour, not less.
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Speaker 1: Then he tossed it down and seized the next. He
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Speaker 1: was in the midst of that when your return caused
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Speaker 1: him to make a very hurried retreat, very hurried, since
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Speaker 1: he had not time to replace the papers, which would
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Speaker 1: tell you that he had been there. You were not
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Speaker 1: aware of any hurrying feet on the stair as you
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Speaker 1: entered the outer door. No, I can't say I was well.
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Speaker 1: He wrote so furiously that he broke his pencil and had,
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Speaker 1: as you observed, to sharpen it again. This is of interest, Watson.
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Speaker 1: The pencil was not an ordinary one. It was above
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Speaker 1: the usual size, with a soft lead. The outer color
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Speaker 1: was dark blue. The maker's name was printed in silver lettering,
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Speaker 1: and the peace remaining is only about an inch and
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Speaker 1: a half long. Look for such a pencil, mister Solmes,
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Speaker 1: and you have got your man. When I add that
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Speaker 1: he possesses a large and very blunt knife, you have
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Speaker 1: an additional aid. Mister Solmes was somewhat overwhelmed by this
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Speaker 1: flood of information. I can follow the other points, said he,
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Speaker 1: But really in this matter of the length, Holmes held
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Speaker 1: out a small chip with the letters N N and
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Speaker 1: a space of clear wood after them. You see no.
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Speaker 1: I fear that, even now, Watson, I have always done
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Speaker 1: you an injustice. There are others. What could this N
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Speaker 1: N be? It is at the end of a word.
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Speaker 1: You are aware that Johann Faber is the most common
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Speaker 1: maker's name. Is it not clear that there is just
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Speaker 1: as much of the pencil left as usually follows the Yohan.
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Speaker 1: He held the small table sideways to the electric light.
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Speaker 1: I was hoping that if the paper on which he
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Speaker 1: wrote was thin, some trace of it might come through
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Speaker 1: upon this polished surface. No, I see nothing. I don't
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Speaker 1: think there is anything more to be learned here. Now
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Speaker 1: for the central table, this small pellet is. I presume
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Speaker 1: the black doughy mass you spoke of roughly pyramidal in
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Speaker 1: shape and hollowed out. I perceive, as you say, there
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Speaker 1: appear to be grains of sawdust in it. Dear me,
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Speaker 1: this is very interesting, and the cut a positive chair.
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Speaker 1: I see it began with a thin scratch and ended
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Speaker 1: in a jagged hole. I am much indebted to you
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Speaker 1: for directing my attention to this case. Mister Solmes, where
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Speaker 1: does that door lead to to my bedroom? Have you
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Speaker 1: been in it since your adventure? No? I came straightway
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Speaker 1: for you. I should like to have a glance round.
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Speaker 1: What a charming old fashioned room. Perhaps you will kindly
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Speaker 1: wait a minute until I have examined the floor. No,
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Speaker 1: I see nothing. What about this curtain? You have your
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Speaker 1: clothes behind it. If any one were forced to conceal
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Speaker 1: himself in this room, he must do it there, since
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Speaker 1: the bed is too low and wardrobe too shallow. No
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Speaker 1: one there, I suppose. As Holmes drew the curtain, I
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Speaker 1: was aware, from some little rigidity and alertness of his attitude,
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Speaker 1: that he was prepared for an emergency. As a matter
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Speaker 1: of fact, the drawn curtain disclosed nothing but three or
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Speaker 1: four suits of clothes hanging from a line of pegs.
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Speaker 1: Holmes turned away and stooped suddenly to the floor. Hello,
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Speaker 1: what's this? Said he? It was a small pyramid of
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Speaker 1: black putty like stuff, exactly like the one upon the
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Speaker 1: table of the study. Holmes held it out upon his
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Speaker 1: open palm in the glare of the electric light. Your
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Speaker 1: visitor seems to have left traces in your bedroom as
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Speaker 1: well as in your sitting room. Mister Solmes, What could
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Speaker 1: he have wanted there? I think it is clear enough
16:00
Speaker 1: you came back by an unexpected way, and so he
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Speaker 1: had no warning until you were at the very door.
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Speaker 1: What could he do? He caught up everything which would
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Speaker 1: betray him, and he rushed into your bedroom to conceal himself.
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Speaker 1: Good gracious, mister Holmes, do you mean to tell me
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Speaker 1: that all the time I was talking to Banister in
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Speaker 1: this room we had the man prisoner? If we had
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Speaker 1: only known it, so I read it. Surely there is
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Speaker 1: another alternative, mister Holmes. I don't know whether you observed
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Speaker 1: my bedroom window lattice pained led framework, three separate windows,
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Speaker 1: one swinging on hinge and large enough to admit a
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Speaker 1: man exactly, and it looks out on an angle of
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Speaker 1: the court yard, so as to be partly invisible. The
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Speaker 1: man might have effected his entrance there, left traces as
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Speaker 1: he passed through the bedroom, and, finally, finding the door open,
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Speaker 1: have escaped that way. Holmes shook his head impatiently. Let
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Speaker 1: us be practical, said he. I understand you to say
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Speaker 1: that there are three students who use this stare and
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Speaker 1: are in the habit of passing your door. Yes, there are,
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Speaker 1: and they are all in for this examination. Yes, have
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Speaker 1: you any reason to suspect any one of them more
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Speaker 1: than the others? The Solmes hesitated. It is a very
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Speaker 1: delicate question, said he. One hardly likes to throw suspicion
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Speaker 1: where there are no proofs. Let us hear these suspicions.
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Speaker 1: I will look after the proofs. I will tell you then,
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Speaker 1: in a few words, the character of the three men
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Speaker 1: who inhabit these rooms. The lower of the three is Gilchrist,
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Speaker 1: a fine scholar and athlete. Plays in the rugby team
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Speaker 1: and the cricket team for the college, and got his
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Speaker 1: blue for the hurdles and the long jump. He's a
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Speaker 1: fine man, lay fellow. His father was the notorious Sir
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Speaker 1: Jabez Gilchrist, who ruined himself on the turf. My scholar
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Speaker 1: has been left very poor, but he is hard working
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Speaker 1: and industrious. He will do well. The second floor is
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Speaker 1: inhabited by dowlet Rass, the Indian. He is a quiet,
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Speaker 1: inscrutable fellow, as most of those Indians are. He is
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Speaker 1: well up in his work, though his Greek is his
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Speaker 1: weak subject. He's steady and methodical. The top floor belongs
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Speaker 1: to Miles mc laren. He is a brilliant fellow when
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Speaker 1: he chooses to work. One of the brightest intellects of
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Speaker 1: the university, but he is wayward, dissipated and unprincipled. He
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Speaker 1: was nearly expelled over a card scandal in his first year.
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Speaker 1: He's been idling all this term, and he must look
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Speaker 1: forward with dread to the examination. Then it is he
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Speaker 1: whom you suspect. I dare not go so far as that.
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Speaker 1: But of the three, he is perhaps the least unlikely.
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Speaker 1: Exactly now, mister Solmes, let us have a look at
18:58
Speaker 1: your servant banister. He was a little, white faced, clean shaven,
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Speaker 1: grisly haired fellow of fifty. He was still suffering from
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Speaker 1: this sudden disturbance of the quiet routine of his life.
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Speaker 1: His plump face was twitching with his nervousness, and his
19:15
Speaker 1: fingers could not keep still. We are investigating this unhappy business, banister,
19:21
Speaker 1: said his master. Yes, sir, I understand, said Holmes, that
19:27
Speaker 1: you left your key in the door. Yes, sir, was
19:31
Speaker 1: it not very extraordinary that you should do this on
19:33
Speaker 1: the very day when there were these papers inside? It
19:37
Speaker 1: was most unfortunate, sir. But I have occasionally done the
19:41
Speaker 1: same thing at other times. When did you enter the room?
19:45
Speaker 1: It was about half past four, that is mister Solmes's
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Speaker 1: tea time. How long did you stay When I saw
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Speaker 1: that he was absent? I withdrew at once. Did you
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Speaker 1: look at these papers on the table? No, sir, certainly not.
20:02
Speaker 1: How came you to leave the key in the door?
20:05
Speaker 1: I had the tea tray in my hand. I thought
20:07
Speaker 1: I would come back for the key. Then I forgot
20:12
Speaker 1: as the outer door a spring lock, No, sir, then
20:15
Speaker 1: it was open all the time, Yes, sir, any one
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Speaker 1: in the room could get out, Yes, sir. When mister
20:23
Speaker 1: Solmes returned and called for you, you were very much disturbed, Yes, sir,
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Speaker 1: such a thing has never happened during the many years
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Speaker 1: that I've been here. I nearly fainted, sir, so I
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Speaker 1: understand Where were you when you began to feel bad?
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Speaker 1: Where was I, sir? Why? Here near the door? That
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Speaker 1: is singular? Because you sat down in that chair over
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Speaker 1: yonder near the corner. Why did you pass these other chairs?
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Speaker 1: I I don't know, sir. It didn't matter to me
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Speaker 1: where I sat. I really don't think he knew much
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Speaker 1: about it, mister Holmes. He was looking very bad, quite ghastly.
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Speaker 1: You stayed here when your master left only for a
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Speaker 1: minute or so. Then I locked the door and went
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Speaker 1: to my room. Whom do you suspect? Oh? I would
21:15
Speaker 1: not venture to say, sir, I don't believe there is
21:18
Speaker 1: any gentleman in this university who is capable of profiting
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Speaker 1: by such an action. No, sir, I'll not believe it.
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Speaker 1: Thank you. That will do, said Holmes. Oh one more word.
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Speaker 1: You have not mentioned to any of the three gentlemen
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Speaker 1: whom you attend that anything is amiss, No, sir, not
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Speaker 1: a word. You haven't seen any of them, No, sir,
21:44
Speaker 1: Very good. Now, mister Solmes, we will take a walk
21:48
Speaker 1: in the quadrangle if you please. Three yellow squares of
21:53
Speaker 1: light shone above us in the gathering gloom. Your three
21:56
Speaker 1: birds are all in their nests, said Holmes, looking up. HULLO,
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Speaker 1: what's that? One of them seems restless enough. It was
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Speaker 1: the Indian whose dark silhouette appeared suddenly upon his blind
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Speaker 1: He was pacing swiftly up and down his room. I
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Speaker 1: should like to have a peep at each of them,
22:15
Speaker 1: said Holmes. Is it possible, No difficulty in the world,
22:20
Speaker 1: Solmes answered, This set of rooms is quite the oldest
22:23
Speaker 1: in the college, and it is not unusual for visitors
22:26
Speaker 1: to go over them. Come along and I will personally
22:29
Speaker 1: conduct you. No names, please, said Holmes, as we knocked
22:35
Speaker 1: at Gilchrist's door. At all flaxen haired, slim young fellow
22:40
Speaker 1: opened it and made us welcome when he understood our
22:43
Speaker 1: errand there were some really curious pieces of medieval domestic
22:48
Speaker 1: architecture within. Holmes was so charmed with one of them
22:53
Speaker 1: that he insisted on drawing it in his note book,
22:56
Speaker 1: broke his pencil, had to borrow one from our host,
23:00
Speaker 1: finally borrowed a knife to sharpen his own. The same
23:04
Speaker 1: curious accident happened to him in the rooms of the Indian,
23:08
Speaker 1: a silent, little hook nosed fellow who eyed us askance
23:12
Speaker 1: and was obviously glad when Holmes's architectural studies had come
23:16
Speaker 1: to an end. I could not see that in either
23:19
Speaker 1: case Holmes had come upon the clue for which he
23:22
Speaker 1: was searching. Only at the third did our visit prove abortive.
23:27
Speaker 1: The outer door would not open to our knock, and
23:30
Speaker 1: nothing more substantial than a torrent of bad language came
23:34
Speaker 1: from behind it. I don't care who you are. You
23:37
Speaker 1: can go to Blazes, roared the angry voice. To Morrow's
23:41
Speaker 1: the exam, and I won't be drawn by any one.
23:45
Speaker 1: A rude fellow, said our guide, flushing with anger as
23:50
Speaker 1: we withdrew down the stair. Of course, he did not
23:54
Speaker 1: realize that it was I who was knocking, but none
23:57
Speaker 1: the less, his conduct was very uncourteous, and indeed, under
24:01
Speaker 1: the circumstances, rather suspicious. Holmes's response was a curious one.
24:07
Speaker 1: Can you tell me his exact height? He asked, Really,
24:11
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, I cannot undertake to say he is taller
24:15
Speaker 1: than the Indian, not so tall as Gilchrist. I suppose
24:20
Speaker 1: five foot six would be about it. That is very important,
24:24
Speaker 1: said Holmes. And now, mister Solmes, I wish you good night,
24:29
Speaker 1: our guide, cried aloud in his astonishment and dismay. Good gracious,
24:33
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, you are surely not going to leave me
24:35
Speaker 1: in this abrupt fashion. You don't seem to realize the
24:38
Speaker 1: position to morrow is the examination. I must take some
24:43
Speaker 1: definite action to night. I cannot allow the examination to
24:47
Speaker 1: be held if one of the papers has been tampered
24:49
Speaker 1: with the situation must be faced. You must leave it
24:53
Speaker 1: as it is. I shall drop round early to morrow
24:56
Speaker 1: morning and chat the matter over. It is possible that
25:00
Speaker 1: I may be in a position then to indicate some
25:02
Speaker 1: course of action. Meanwhile, you change nothing, nothing at all.
25:08
Speaker 1: Very good, mister Holmes. You can be perfectly easy in
25:12
Speaker 1: your mind. We shall certainly find some way out of
25:15
Speaker 1: your difficulties. I will take the black clay with me,
25:20
Speaker 1: also the pencil cuttings. Good bye. When we were out
25:25
Speaker 1: in the darkness of the quadrangle, we again looked up
25:28
Speaker 1: at the windows. The Indians still paced his room, the
25:32
Speaker 1: others were invisible. Well, Watson, what do you think of it?
25:36
Speaker 1: Holmes asked, as we came out into the main street.
25:39
Speaker 1: Quite a little parlor game sort of three card trick,
25:43
Speaker 1: is it not? There are your three men, it must
25:46
Speaker 1: be one of them. Take your choice, which is yours?
25:51
Speaker 1: The falmouthed fellow at the top, he's the one with
25:54
Speaker 1: the worst record. And yet that Indian was a sly fellow. Also,
25:58
Speaker 1: why should he be pacing room all the time? There
26:02
Speaker 1: is nothing in that. Many men do it when they
26:05
Speaker 1: are trying to learn anything by heart. He looked at
26:08
Speaker 1: us in a queer way. So would you if a
26:11
Speaker 1: flock of strangers came in on you when you were
26:13
Speaker 1: preparing for an examination next day, and every moment was
26:17
Speaker 1: of value? No, I see nothing in that. Pencils, to
26:21
Speaker 1: and knives all was satisfactory. But that fellow does puzzle me.
26:29
Speaker 1: Who why banister the servant? What's his game in the matter?
26:34
Speaker 1: He impressed me as being a perfectly honest man, so
26:38
Speaker 1: he did me. That's the puzzling part. Why should a
26:41
Speaker 1: perfectly honest man? Well, well, here's a large stationers. We
26:45
Speaker 1: shall begin our researches here. There were only four stationers
26:51
Speaker 1: of any consequences in the town, and at each Holmes
26:54
Speaker 1: produced his pencil chips and bid high for a duplicate.
26:58
Speaker 1: All were agreed that one could be ordered, but that
27:02
Speaker 1: it was not a usual size of pencil, and that
27:04
Speaker 1: it was seldom kept in stock. My friend did not
27:08
Speaker 1: appear to be depressed by his failure, but shrugged his
27:11
Speaker 1: shoulders in half humorous resignation. No good, my dear Watson,
27:16
Speaker 1: This the best and only final clue, has run to nothing.
27:21
Speaker 1: But indeed I have little doubt that we can build
27:23
Speaker 1: up a sufficient case without it. By Jove, my dear fellow,
27:27
Speaker 1: it is nearly nine, and the landlady babbled of green
27:31
Speaker 1: peas at seven point thirty. What with your eternal tobacco, Watson,
27:35
Speaker 1: and your irregularity at meals? I suspect that you will
27:39
Speaker 1: get notice to quit, and that I shall share your downfall.
27:43
Speaker 1: Not however, before we have solved the problem of the
27:46
Speaker 1: nervous tutor, the careless servant, and the three enterprising students.
27:52
Speaker 1: Holmes made no further allusion to the matter that day,
27:56
Speaker 1: though he sat lost in thought for a long time.
27:58
Speaker 1: After our belated dinner, at eight in the morning, he
28:01
Speaker 1: came into my room just as I finished my toilet. Well,
28:05
Speaker 1: Watson said he it is time we went down to
28:07
Speaker 1: Saint Luke's. Can you do without breakfast? Certainly Solmes will
28:13
Speaker 1: be in a dreadful fidget until we are able to
28:15
Speaker 1: tell him something positive. Have you anything positive to tell him?
28:20
Speaker 1: I think so you formed a conclusion. Yes, my dear Watson,
28:23
Speaker 1: I have solved the mystery. But what fresh evidence could
28:27
Speaker 1: you have got? Aha? It is not for nothing that
28:31
Speaker 1: I have turned myself out of bed at the untimely
28:34
Speaker 1: hour of six. I have put in two hours hard
28:37
Speaker 1: work and covered at least five miles with something to
28:41
Speaker 1: show for it. Look at that he held out his
28:45
Speaker 1: hand on the palm were three little pyramids of black
28:49
Speaker 1: doughy clay. Why Holmes, you only had two yesterday and
28:54
Speaker 1: one more this morning. It is a fair argument that
28:58
Speaker 1: wherever number three came from is also the source of
29:01
Speaker 1: numbers one and two. Eh, Watson, well, come along and
29:05
Speaker 1: put friends Solmes out of his pain. The unfortunate tutor
29:10
Speaker 1: was certainly in a state of pitiable agitation when we
29:13
Speaker 1: found him in his chambers. In a few hours the
29:17
Speaker 1: examination would commence, and he was still in the dilemma
29:21
Speaker 1: between making the facts public and allowing the culprit to
29:24
Speaker 1: compete for the valuable scholarship. He could hardly stand still,
29:29
Speaker 1: so great was his mental agitation, and he ran towards
29:33
Speaker 1: homes with two eager hands outstretched. Thank Heaven that you
29:37
Speaker 1: have come. I feared that you had given it up
29:39
Speaker 1: in despair. What am I to do? Shall the examination proceed? Yes,
29:44
Speaker 1: let it proceed by all means. But this rascal he
29:49
Speaker 1: shall not compete. You know him. I think so if
29:54
Speaker 1: this matter is not to become public, we must give
29:57
Speaker 1: ourselves certain powers and resolve ourselves into a small private
30:01
Speaker 1: court martial. You there, if you please, Solmes Watson, you hear,
30:06
Speaker 1: I'll take the arm chair in the middle. I think
30:09
Speaker 1: that we are now sufficiently imposing to strike terror into
30:13
Speaker 1: a guilty breast. Kindly ring the bell, banister entered and
30:18
Speaker 1: shrank back in evident surprise and fear at our judicial appearance.
30:23
Speaker 1: You will kindly close the door, said Holmes. Now, banister,
30:27
Speaker 1: will you please tell us the truth about yesterday's incident?
30:31
Speaker 1: The man turned white to the roots of his hair.
30:34
Speaker 1: I have told you everything, sir, nothing to add, nothing
30:38
Speaker 1: at all, sir. Well, then I must make some suggestions
30:42
Speaker 1: to you. When you sat down on that chair yesterday,
30:47
Speaker 1: did you do so in order to conceal some object
30:51
Speaker 1: which would have shown who had been in the room.
30:55
Speaker 1: Banister's face was ghastly. No, sir, certainly not. Tis only
31:00
Speaker 1: a suggestion, said Holmes, suavely. I frankly admit that I
31:04
Speaker 1: am unable to prove it, but it seems probable enough.
31:09
Speaker 1: Since the moment that mister Solmes's back was turned, you
31:12
Speaker 1: released the man who was hiding in that bedroom. Banister
31:17
Speaker 1: licked his dry lips. There was no man, sir, ah,
31:21
Speaker 1: that's a pity. Banister. Up to now you may have
31:24
Speaker 1: spoken the truth, but now I know that you have lied.
31:29
Speaker 1: The man's face set in sullen defiance. There was no man, sir. Come, come, Banister, No, sir,
31:36
Speaker 1: there was no one in that case. You can give
31:39
Speaker 1: us no further information. Would you please remain in the
31:42
Speaker 1: room stand over there near the bedroom door. Now, Solmes,
31:48
Speaker 1: I am going to ask you to have the great
31:50
Speaker 1: kindness to go up to the room of young Gilchrist
31:53
Speaker 1: and to ask him to step down into yours. An
31:57
Speaker 1: instant later, the tutor returned, bringing with him the student.
32:02
Speaker 1: He was a fine figure of a man, tall, lithe
32:04
Speaker 1: and agile, with a springy step and a pleasant open face.
32:09
Speaker 1: His troubled blue eyes glanced at each of us and
32:13
Speaker 1: finally rested with an expression of blank dismay upon Banister
32:16
Speaker 1: in the farther corner. Just close the door, said Holmes. Now,
32:21
Speaker 1: mister Gilchrist, we are all quite alone here, and no
32:25
Speaker 1: one need ever know one word of what passes between us.
32:28
Speaker 1: We can be perfectly frank with each other. We want
32:31
Speaker 1: to know, mister Gilchrist, how you, an honorable man, ever
32:35
Speaker 1: came to commit such an action as that of yesterday.
32:39
Speaker 1: The unfortunate young man staggered back and cast a look
32:43
Speaker 1: full of horror and reproach at Banister. No, no, mister Gilchrist, Sir,
32:47
Speaker 1: I never said a word, Never one word, cried the servant. No,
32:51
Speaker 1: but you have now, said Holmes. Now, sir, you must
32:55
Speaker 1: see that after Banister's words, your position is hopeless, and
32:57
Speaker 1: that your only chance lies in a frankness feshion. For
33:01
Speaker 1: a moment, Gilchrist, with upraised hand, tried to control his
33:05
Speaker 1: writhing features. The next he had thrown himself on his
33:08
Speaker 1: knees beside the table, and burying his face in his hands,
33:12
Speaker 1: he had burst into a storm of passionate sobbing. Come, Come,
33:17
Speaker 1: said Holmes, kindly. It is human to err, and at
33:21
Speaker 1: least no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal.
33:25
Speaker 1: Perhaps it would be easier for you if I were
33:28
Speaker 1: to tell mister Solmes what occurred, and you can check
33:31
Speaker 1: me where I am wrong? Shall I do so? Well? Well,
33:35
Speaker 1: don't trouble to answer. Listen and see that I do
33:38
Speaker 1: you no injustice. From the moment, mister Solmes, that you
33:44
Speaker 1: said to me that no one, not even banister, could
33:47
Speaker 1: have told that the papers were in your room, the
33:50
Speaker 1: case began to take a definite shape in my mind.
33:54
Speaker 1: The printer one could, of course dismiss he could examine
33:58
Speaker 1: the papers in his own office. The Indian I also
34:02
Speaker 1: thought nothing of if the proofs were in a roll,
34:06
Speaker 1: he could not possibly know what they were. On the
34:10
Speaker 1: other hand, it seemed an unthinkable coincidence that a man
34:13
Speaker 1: should dare to enter the room, and that, by chance,
34:17
Speaker 1: on the very day, the papers were on the table.
34:20
Speaker 1: I dismissed that the man who entered knew that the
34:24
Speaker 1: papers were there? How did he know? When I approached
34:28
Speaker 1: your room, I examined the window. You amused me by
34:32
Speaker 1: supposing that I was contemplating the possibility of some one having,
34:35
Speaker 1: in broad daylight, under the eyes of all these opposite rooms,
34:39
Speaker 1: forced himself through it. Such an idea was absurd. I
34:43
Speaker 1: was measuring how tall a man would need to be
34:46
Speaker 1: in order to see as he passed what papers were
34:49
Speaker 1: on the central table. I am six feet high, and
34:53
Speaker 1: I could do it with an effort. No one less
34:56
Speaker 1: than that would have a chance. Already, you see, I
35:00
Speaker 1: had reason to think that if one of your three
35:02
Speaker 1: students was a man of unusual height, he was the
35:05
Speaker 1: most worth watching of the three. I entered, and I
35:09
Speaker 1: took you into my confidence. As to the suggestion of
35:12
Speaker 1: the side table of the center table. I could make
35:15
Speaker 1: nothing until in your description of Gilchrist you mentioned that
35:20
Speaker 1: he was a long distance jumper. Then the whole thing
35:23
Speaker 1: came to me in an instant, and I only needed
35:26
Speaker 1: certain corroborative proofs, which I speedily obtained. What happened was this,
35:34
Speaker 1: this young fellow had employed his afternoon at the athletic grounds,
35:38
Speaker 1: where he had been practicing the jump. He returned carrying
35:42
Speaker 1: his jumping shoes, which are provided, as you are aware,
35:45
Speaker 1: with several sharp spikes. As he passed your window, he saw,
35:50
Speaker 1: by means of his great height, these proofs upon your
35:53
Speaker 1: table and conjectured what they were. No harm would have
35:57
Speaker 1: been done had it not been the As he passed
36:00
Speaker 1: your door he perceived the key which had been left
36:03
Speaker 1: by the carelessness of your servant. A sudden impulse came
36:07
Speaker 1: over him to enter and see if they were indeed
36:11
Speaker 1: the proofs. It was not a dangerous exploit, for he
36:15
Speaker 1: could always pretend that he had simply looked in to
36:17
Speaker 1: ask a question. Well, when he saw that they were
36:21
Speaker 1: indeed the proofs, it was then that he yielded to temptation.
36:25
Speaker 1: He put his shoes on the table. What was it
36:28
Speaker 1: you put on that chair near the window, gloves, said
36:33
Speaker 1: the young man. Holmes looked triumphantly at Banister. He put
36:38
Speaker 1: his gloves on the chair, and he took the proofs
36:40
Speaker 1: sheet by sheet to copy them. He thought the tutor
36:44
Speaker 1: must return by the main gate, and that he would
36:47
Speaker 1: see him. As we know, he came back by the
36:50
Speaker 1: side gate. Suddenly he heard him at the very door.
36:53
Speaker 1: There was no possible escape. He forgot his gloves, but
36:57
Speaker 1: he caught up his shoes and darted into the bedroom.
37:01
Speaker 1: You observe that the scratch on that table is slight
37:04
Speaker 1: at one side, but deepens in the direction of the
37:07
Speaker 1: bedroom door. That in itself is enough to show us
37:11
Speaker 1: that the shoe had been drawn in that direction, and
37:14
Speaker 1: that the culprit had taken refuge there. The earth round
37:18
Speaker 1: the spike had been left on the table, and a
37:21
Speaker 1: second sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom. I
37:26
Speaker 1: may add that I walked out to the athletic grounds
37:28
Speaker 1: this morning, saw that tenacious black clay is used in
37:32
Speaker 1: the jumping pit, and carried away a specimen of it,
37:36
Speaker 1: together with some of the fine tan or sawdust, which
37:39
Speaker 1: is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from slipping.
37:44
Speaker 1: Have I told the truth, mister Gilchrist The student had
37:48
Speaker 1: drawn himself erect? Yes, sir, it is true, said he
37:54
Speaker 1: good Heavens. Have you nothing to add, cried Solmes, Yes, sir,
38:00
Speaker 1: I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has
38:04
Speaker 1: bewildered me. I have a letter here, mister Solmes, which
38:08
Speaker 1: I wrote to you early this morning, in the middle
38:10
Speaker 1: of a restless night. It was before I knew that
38:13
Speaker 1: my sin had found me out here. It is, sir.
38:17
Speaker 1: You will see that I have said. I have determined
38:20
Speaker 1: not to go in for the examination. I have been
38:23
Speaker 1: offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police, and I am
38:27
Speaker 1: going out to South Africa at once. I am indeed
38:31
Speaker 1: pleased to hear that you did not intend to profit
38:33
Speaker 1: by your unfair advantage, said Solmes, But why did you
38:38
Speaker 1: change your purpose? Gilchrist pointed to Banister, there is the
38:44
Speaker 1: man who set me in the right path, said he.
38:48
Speaker 1: Come now, Banister, said Holmes, it will be clear to
38:51
Speaker 1: you from what I have said that only you could
38:53
Speaker 1: have let this young man out, since you were left
38:56
Speaker 1: in the room and must have locked the door when
38:58
Speaker 1: you went out. As to his escaping by that window,
39:02
Speaker 1: it was incredible. Can you not clear up the last
39:06
Speaker 1: point in this mystery and tell us the reasons for
39:09
Speaker 1: your action? It was simple enough, sir, if you only
39:13
Speaker 1: had known. But with all your cleverness, it was impossible
39:18
Speaker 1: that you could know. Time was, sir, when I was
39:21
Speaker 1: butler to old Sir Jabez Gilchrist, this young gentleman's father,
39:27
Speaker 1: when he was ruined, I came to the college's servant,
39:30
Speaker 1: But I never forgot my old employer because he was
39:33
Speaker 1: down in the world. I watched his son all I could,
39:38
Speaker 1: for the sake of the old days. Well, Sir, when
39:42
Speaker 1: I came into this room yesterday, when the alarm was given,
39:45
Speaker 1: the very first thing I saw was mister Gilcrist's tan
39:48
Speaker 1: gloves A lying in that chair. I knew those gloves well,
39:52
Speaker 1: and I understood their message. If mister Solmes saw them,
39:56
Speaker 1: the game was up. I flopped down into that chair,
40:00
Speaker 1: and nothing would budge me until mister Solmes he went
40:03
Speaker 1: for you. Then out came my poor young master, whom
40:07
Speaker 1: I had dandled on my knee, and confessed it all
40:10
Speaker 1: to me. Wasn't it natural, sir, that I should save him?
40:14
Speaker 1: And wasn't it natural also that I should try to
40:16
Speaker 1: speak to him as his dead father would have done
40:19
Speaker 1: and make him understand that he could not profit by
40:21
Speaker 1: such a deed. Could you blame me, sir? No, indeed,
40:26
Speaker 1: said Holmes, heartily, springing to his feet. Will Solmes, I
40:30
Speaker 1: think we have cleared your little problem up, and our
40:33
Speaker 1: breakfast awaits us at home. Come Watson. As to you, sir,
40:38
Speaker 1: I trust that a bright future awaits you in Rhodesia.
40:42
Speaker 1: For once you have fallen low, let us see in
40:45
Speaker 1: the future how high you can rise. That is the
40:55
Speaker 1: end of the Adventure of the Three Students by Arthur
40:59
Speaker 1: Conan Doyle, read by Greg Wagland four Magpie Audio, two
41:05
Speaker 1: thousand and twelve.