"Dear me!" said Holmes, and he smiled in a singular way as he glanced atour companion. "Well, if there is nothing to be learned here we had bestgo inside."
The lecturer unlocked the outer door and ushered us into his room. Westood at the entrance while Holmes made an examination of the carpet.
"I am afraid there are no signs here," said he. "One could hardly hopefor 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 finishedwith the carpet. Let us take the little table first. Of course, what hashappened is very clear. The man entered and took the papers, sheet bysheet, 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 socould effect an escape."
"As a matter of fact he could not," said Soames, "for I entered by theside door."
"Ah, that's good! Well, anyhow, that was in his mind. Let me see thethree strips. No finger impressions--no! Well, he carried over this onefirst and he copied it. How long would it take him to do that, usingevery possible contraction? A quarter of an hour, not less. Then hetossed it down and seized the next. He was in the midst of that whenyour 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 hehad been there. You were not aware of any hurrying feet on the stair asyou entered the outer door?"
"No, I can't say I was."
"Well, he wrote so furiously that he broke his pencil, and had, as youobserve, to sharpen it again. This is of interest, Watson. The pencilwas not an ordinary one. It was above the usual size, with a soft lead;the outer colour was dark blue, the maker's name was printed in silverlettering, and the piece remaining is only about an inch and a halflong. Look for such a pencil, Mr. Soames, and you have got your man.When I add that he possesses a large and very blunt knife, you have anadditional aid."
Mr. Soames was somewhat overwhelmed by this flood of information. "I canfollow the other points," said he, "but really, in this matter of thelength----"
Holmes held out a small chip with the letters NN and a space of clearwood after them.
"You see?"
"No, I fear that even now----"
"Watson, I have always done you an injustice. There are others. Whatcould this NN be? It is at the end of a word. You are aware that JohannFaber is the most common maker's name. Is it not clear that there isjust as much of the pencil left as usually follows the Johann?" He heldthe small table sideways to the electric light. "I was hoping that ifthe paper on which he wrote was thin some trace of it might come throughupon this polished surface. No, I see nothing. I don't think there isanything more to be learned here. Now for the central table. This smallpellet is, I presume, the black, doughy mass you spoke of. Roughlypyramidal in shape and hollowed out, I perceive. As you say, thereappear 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 andended in a jagged hole. I am much indebted to you for directing myattention to this case, Mr. Soames. 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 round. What a charming, old-fashionedroom! Perhaps you will kindly wait a minute until I have examined thefloor. No, I see nothing. What about this curtain? You hang your clothesbehind it. If anyone were forced to conceal himself in this room he mustdo it there, since the bed is too low and the wardrobe too shallow. Noone there, I suppose?"
As Holmes drew the curtain I was aware, from some little rigidity andalertness of his attitude, that he was prepared for an emergency. Asa matter of fact the drawn curtain disclosed nothing but three or foursuits of clothes hanging from a line of pegs. Holmes turned away andstooped suddenly to the floor.
"Halloa! What's this?" said he.
It was a small pyramid of black, putty-like stuff, exactly like the oneupon the table of the study. Holmes held it out on his open palm in theglare of the electric light.
"Your visitor seems to have left traces in your bedroom as well as inyour sitting-room, Mr. Soames."
"What could he have wanted there?"
"I think it is clear enough. You came back by an unexpected way, and sohe 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 yourbedroom to conceal himself."
"Good gracious, Mr. Holmes, do you mean to tell me that all the time Iwas talking to Bannister in this room we had the man prisoner if we hadonly known it?"
"So I read it."
"Surely there is another alternative, Mr. Holmes. I don't know whetheryou observed my bedroom window?"
"Lattice-paned, lead framework, three separate windows, one swinging onhinge and large enough to admit a man."
"Exactly. And it looks out on an angle of the courtyard so as to bepartly invisible. The man might have effected his entrance there, lefttraces as he passed through the bedroom, and, finally, finding the dooropen have escaped that way."
Holmes shook his head impatiently.