"Can you tell me his exact height?" he asked.
"Really, Mr. Holmes, I cannot undertake to say. He is taller than theIndian, not so tall as Gilchrist. I suppose five foot six would be aboutit."
"That is very important," said Holmes. "And now, Mr. Soames, I wish yougood-night."
Our guide cried aloud in his astonishment and dismay. "Good gracious,Mr. 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. Imust take some definite action to-night. I cannot allow the examinationto be held if one of the papers has been tampered with. The situationmust be faced."
"You must leave it as it is. I shall drop round early to-morrow morningand chat the matter over. It is possible that I may be in a positionthen to indicate some course of action. Meanwhile you changenothing--nothing at all."
"Very good, Mr. Holmes."
"You can be perfectly easy in your mind. We shall certainly find someway out of your difficulties. I will take the black clay with me, alsothe pencil cuttings. Good-bye."
When we were out in the darkness of the quadrangle we again looked up atthe windows. The Indian still paced his room. The others were invisible.
"Well, Watson, what do you think of it?" Holmes asked, as we came outinto the main street. "Quite a little parlour game--sort of three-cardtrick, is it not? There are your three men. It must be one of them. Youtake your choice. Which is yours?"
"The foul-mouthed fellow at the top. He is the one with the worstrecord. And yet that Indian was a sly fellow also. Why should he bepacing his room all the time?"
"There is nothing in that. Many men do it when they are trying to learnanything by heart."
"He looked at us in a queer way."
"So would you if a flock of strangers came in on you when you werepreparing for an examination next day, and every moment was ofvalue. No, I see nothing in that. Pencils, too, and knives--all wassatisfactory. But that fellow DOES puzzle me."
"Who?"
"Why, Bannister, 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 perfectlyhonest man--well, well, here's a large stationer's. We shall begin ourresearches here."
There were only four stationers of any consequence in the town, and ateach Holmes produced his pencil chips and bid high for a duplicate. Allwere agreed that one could be ordered, but that it was not a usual sizeof pencil and that it was seldom kept in stock. My friend did notappear to be depressed by his failure, but shrugged his shoulders inhalf-humorous resignation.
"No good, my dear Watson. This, the best and only final clue, has runto nothing. But, indeed, I have little doubt that we can build up asufficient case without it. By Jove! my dear fellow, it is nearly nine,and the landlady babbled of green peas at seven-thirty. What with youreternal tobacco, Watson, and your irregularity at meals, I expect thatyou will get notice to quit and that I shall share your downfall--not,however, before we have solved the problem of the nervous tutor, thecareless servant, and the three enterprising students."
Holmes made no further allusion to the matter that day, though he satlost in thought for a long time after our belated dinner. At eight inthe morning he came into my room just as I finished my toilet.
"Well, Watson," said he, "it is time we went down to St. Luke's. Can youdo without breakfast?"
"Certainly."
"Soames will be in a dreadful fidget until we are able to tell himsomething positive."
"Have you anything positive to tell him?"
"I think so."
"You have formed a conclusion?"
"Yes, my dear Watson; I have solved t
he mystery."
"But what fresh evidence could you have got?"
"Aha! It is not for nothing that I have turned myself out of bed at theuntimely hour of six. I have put in two hours' hard work and covered atleast five miles, with something to show for it. Look at that!"