The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 107 The Return (22)
After leaving the comfortable surroundings of Baker Street, my friend became a little sour.He was terribly uncomfortable away from his newspaper scrapbook, his chemical experiments, and his cluttered bedroom.He shrugged resignedly, and as our guest began to confide in the incident that troubled him, he spoke agitatedly.

"Mr. Holmes, you know that the Foz Scholarship Examination will begin tomorrow. I am one of the examiners, and the subject of the examination is Greek. The first question in the examination paper is a large section of Greek that the students have not read. They are required to Translated into English. This paragraph has been printed on the test paper. Of course, if the students have read this Greek text, it will be of great advantage. Therefore, I attach great importance to the confidentiality of the test paper.

"At three o'clock this afternoon, the printing house delivered the proofs of the examination paper. The first question was to translate a section of Thucydides' works. I carefully checked the proofs, because I wanted to ensure that the original text was absolutely correct. Until four thirty I haven't finished proofreading yet. But I promised a friend I would go to his house for tea, so I put the proof on the table and left the house in a little over half an hour from going out to returning.

"Mr. Holmes, you know that the doors of our house are double. The inner door is covered with green cloth and the outer door is oak. When I approached the outer door, I was surprised to find a key on it. At first I thought I had left the key on the door, but when I touched my pocket, the key was still there. It was clear to me that the other key was in the hands of my servant Bannister. He has been cleaning my room for ten years Yes, absolutely honest. I asked him, and the key is indeed his. I think he must have come into my house to see if I wanted tea, and probably forgot to take the key out when I went out. I was only out for a few minutes and he Just came in. In normal times, it would have nothing to do with him dropping the key, but today it had unimaginable consequences.

"As soon as I saw my desk, I knew someone had turned over my papers. The proofs were printed on three strips. I remember putting them together when I went out. Now one is on the floor, one On the table near the window, there is another one still in place."

Holmes began to be a little interested, and said: "The one on the floor is the first, the second is on the table by the window, and the third is still in place."

"It astonishes me, Mr. Holmes, how you know it so well?"

"Go on with your funny story."

"I thought it was Bannister at first, that the behavior was unforgivable. However he said in all sincerity it wasn't him and I believe he was telling the truth. Another explanation is that someone saw the key on the door , Knowing that no one was in the room, I went in to read the test paper. The amount of this scholarship is very high, so a brazen person may be willing to take the risk of peeking at the test paper in order to surpass other students and obtain this ill-gotten wealth.

"It was very disturbing for Bannister. When we found out the paper had been turned over, he almost passed out. I gave him a little brandy and sat him down in a chair where he was limp. Then, I checked the whole room. In addition to the crumpled test paper, I quickly found the traces left by the intruder. On the table by the window, there were scraps of wood from pencils and a small piece of pencil Apparently, the liar copied the test papers too hastily, and broke the point of the pencil, which had to be resharpened."

Holmes was gradually attracted, and his temper gradually improved.He said: "Excellent speech! You have very good luck, and you have a good chance of solving the case."

"There are some other marks elsewhere. I have a new writing desk with a beautiful red leather top. Bannister and I can testify that the top is very smooth and free of any stains. I now notice that there is clearly a line about three inches long on the top. The knife marks, not rubbing marks with other things, are indeed knife marks. Also, I saw a small black ball of mud on the table, maybe a dough ball, and some spots on the ball that looked like sawdust. I am sure these marks are Remains of the man who crumpled the paper. There are no traces or other evidence to identify him. I was at a loss when I remembered that you were in the city, and I came to you directly. Please, Mr. Holmes Do me a favor. Now you understand my dilemma: Either find this person, or postpone the exam until new ones are printed. But you can't change the exam without explaining it, because it will cause terrible Rumors. This will damage the reputation not only of the College but of the University as a whole. Above all, I hope that this issue will be resolved quietly and discreetly."

"It will please me to deal with the matter, and I will do my best to give you some advice." Holmes rose and pulled on his overcoat. "It's still an interesting case. Has anyone been in your room since you received your papers?"

"Yes, there is an Indian student named Doulat Reiss. He lives in the same building as me and came to ask about the examination method."

"Is that why he came to your room?"

"Yes."

"Was the test paper on your desk then?"

"Yes, but I remember rolling up the test paper."

"Can you see that it's a proof?"

"It can probably be seen."

"Is there anyone else in your room?"

"No."

"Anyone know that proof samples are being sent to you?"

"Only the workers in that printing factory know."

"Does Bannister know?"

"He sure doesn't know, and no one knows."

"Where is Bannister now?"

"He is not feeling well. I came to you in a hurry after I helped him to a chair and sat down."

"Is the door still open?"

"I've locked up the test paper."

"Mr. Soames, it can be assumed that unless the Indian student sees that it is a test paper, the person looking through the test papers happened to happen and did not know in advance that you have a test paper on your desk."

"I think so too."

Holmes smiled, but it was a rather inexplicable smile.He said: "Well, let's go and see. This is not your business, Watson, and is a psychological rather than a physical matter. Of course, if you want to go, go with you. Now listen to you, Mr. Soames." s arrangement!"

Our client's living room looked out onto the courtyard of the old college, where the ground was overgrown with moss.The windows in the living room were large and low, with latticework above them.A stone staircase in disrepair behind a Gothic archway.The tutor's room is on the first floor, and the other three college students live on the first floor.We arrived at the scene in the evening.Holmes stopped and looked at the sitting-room window.Then, approaching the window, he stood on tiptoe and craned his neck to peer into the room.

"He must have entered by the gate," said the Master. "There is no other entrance but this window."

Holmes looked at our client, smiled a little strangely, and said: "Well, if nothing can be ascertained here, we had better go inside."

The tutor opened the door, and while standing there Holmes examined the carpet.

Holmes said: "I don't think there will be any traces here. It is difficult to find traces in such dry weather. Your servant's body should be basically recovered. You said you let him sit on the chair. Which chair is it?"

"The one by the window."

"Oh, it's near this little table. You can come in now. I've finished checking the carpet. Let's look at this little table again. It's clear what happened. Take the page-by-page proof of the test paper to the table next to the window, because if someone walks from the yard, they can see it at a glance here, so that they can escape easily.”

"Actually he couldn't get away, because I used to come by the side door," said Soames.

"Very good! Anyway, he must have imagined it that way. Let me see the three proof sheets, and there are no fingerprints! He copied this page first. How long did it take? It will be less than a quarter of an hour. Then throw away this one and pick up another one. Just at this time you came back, so he was so eager to run away that he had no time to put the proof paper back where it was. When you walked in the door Do you hear hurried footsteps on the stone staircase?"

"No, I didn't hear that."

"In his haste to copy, he broke the point of the pencil and sharpened it again. It is interesting, Watson, that the pencil was not an ordinary pencil. It was thicker than an ordinary pencil, with a lead of soft lead, and a barrel of dark blue." , with the maker's name printed in silver, and it's only an inch and a half long. Mr. Soames, if you can find a pencil like that, you can find the man. Also, his knife is big and blunt. , which is another clue."

Mr. Soames was obviously bewildered by Holmes' account of these circumstances. He said: "I can understand the rest, but the length of the pencil..."

Holmes produced a small piece of pencil sawdust with the letters nn on it.

"Look."

"No, I still..."

"Watson, I used to say that you were not clever enough, and it seems you were not alone. Well, what do you mean by nn? They are the last two letters of a word. You know that Johann Faber was the name of a well-known pencil dealer. Isn't that clear? The pencil is used up and there's only a little bit behind Johann." He pulled the small table under the light. "I wish he'd copied it on thin paper, so there would be marks on the smooth table through the paper. Oh, there's nothing to see, nothing to be found on the little table. Now look at the middle table .I guess this little ball is the black dough you were talking about. It's kind of like a pyramid shape, hollow in the middle. Just like you said, there are sawdust on the ball. Ah, that's interesting. There are knife marks on the table Scratches, to be precise. Scratch marks to begin with, and small holes with ragged edges. I am very grateful to you, Mr. Soames, for bringing this detail to my attention. Where does that door lead to?"

"My bedroom."

"Have you been in since the accident?"

"No, I went directly to you."

"I'd better go in and check it out. What a nice old house! Wait a minute, I'll check the floors before you come in. Oh, I don't see anything. What's this drapery for? You hang your clothes behind here. If If someone has to hide in this room, he must hide behind this curtain, because the bed is too low and the wardrobe is not thick enough. I think there is no one in the room."

As Holmes prepared to pull the veil, I could see from his determined and alert expression that he was prepared for any eventuality.But when I opened the curtain, I saw that there was nothing inside except three or four sets of clothes hanging on the hooks.Holmes turned and was about to walk away when he crouched down again and began to examine the floor.

He said, "Hey, what's this?"

It was a little black thing in the shape of a pyramid, exactly like the one on the table in the study.Holmes held it in the palm of his hand, and held it up to the electric lamp for observation.

"Mr. Soames, this uninvited guest has left his mark in your living-room and bedroom."

"What was he doing in the bedroom?"

"I think it's clear. You came back suddenly, and he didn't notice until you got to the door. What's he going to do? Anything he does would give him away, so he'd have to break into your bedroom and hide."

"My God, Mr. Holmes, do you mean that this man has been hiding here all the time Bannister and I have been talking in the living room?"

"I think so."

"Mr. Holmes, I think there is another possibility. Have you noticed my bedroom window?"

"There are flowered window lattices and metal frames on the glass. There are three doors in total. One door has hinged leaves, so people can get in."

"Yes. The bedroom faces a corner of the courtyard, so the whole bedroom cannot be seen from the outside. The man may have entered through the window, walked past the bedroom, left traces, and finally, finding the door open, ran through the door Lose."

Shaking his head impatiently, Holmes said: "Let us begin with the facts. You said that three students used this stone staircase and always passed your door."

"There are three students."

"Are they all going to take this test?"

"Yes."

"Among the three people, is there anyone who is more suspected?"

Soames said hesitantly: "That's a hard question to answer. You can't easily suspect a person without evidence."

"Tell me about your suspicions, and we'll find evidence."

"Then I will tell you briefly the characters of the three students who live above. At the bottom is Gilchrist, an excellent student, and an excellent athlete, on the college football and cricket teams, who won Awarded for the low hurdles and the long jump. He was a handsome and well-mannered man. But his father was not so well known, that is, Lord Zabez Gilchrist, who was bankrupt from horse racing. Although the student was poor, But he is very hard working and a promising young man.

"The one living in the middle was an Indian student named Daulat Reiss. He was quiet, but a little unapproachable, as most Indians are. He was good at studies, though a little weaker in Greek. He did things. Steady and organized.

"The one who lives at the top is Miles McLaren. If he wants to study, he can study very well. He is one of the most talented people in this university. But he has a willful personality and a loose life. The first year is because of playing cards. He almost got expelled for this. He's been slacking off this semester, and he must be terrified of this scholarship exam."

"Then you suspect him?"

"I can't say that yet. But, of the three, he's the most likely to do such a thing."

"Very well, Mr. Soames, and now we meet your servant Bannister."

The servant was not tall, with a pale face, a clean shaven beard, and gray hair. He was over 50 years old.His quiet life was disrupted by the test questions, and he has not completely calmed down yet.His round cheeks twitched nervously, and his fingers were trembling.

His master said: "Bannister, we are investigating this unfortunate incident."

"Yes, sir."

"I heard you left the key on the door," said Holmes.

"Yes, sir."

"Isn't it unusual that this accident just happened when the test paper was placed in the room?"

"It is unfortunate, sir, that this happened. But, I have occasionally forgotten it before."

"When did you come in?"

"About 04:30, Mr. Soames' tea time."

"How long have you been waiting in the house?"

"I saw that he was not there, so I came out immediately."

"Did you read the test paper on the table?"

"No, sir, absolutely not."

"How did you forget to pull out the key on the door?"

"I was holding the tea tray in my hand and wanted to get the key when I got back. Then I forgot."

"Is there a latch on the door to the outside?"

"No, sir."

"Is that door open all the time?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can anyone come out of the house?"

"Yes, sir."

"You were disturbed when Mr. Soames came to see you, weren't you?"

"Yes, sir. In all my years of service to Mr. Soames, nothing like this has ever happened. I nearly fainted."

"I know you passed out. Where were you when you started feeling sick?"

"Where am I, sir? Right here, near the door."

"That's a little strange. You're sitting in the corner chair over there. Why do you go around the other chairs?"

"Sir, I don't know, I didn't notice where I was sitting."

"Mr. Holmes, I also don't think he noticed where he was sitting. He was very pale then," said the tutor.

"After your master left, are you still resting here?"

"Only for a minute or two. Then I locked the door and went back to my own room."

"Who do you suspect?"

"Oh, I don't dare to talk nonsense. I believe that no one in this university will do such unscrupulous things to harm others and benefit himself. Sir, I don't believe there will be such a person."

"Thank you," said Holmes, "and that's all for that. Oh, one more word. You didn't mention it to the three gentlemen you served, did you?"

"No, sir, not a word."

"Did you see them?"

"No."

"Very well. Will you walk about this yard with me, Mr. Soames?"

In the courtyard, it was getting darker and darker, and lights were shining in the windows of the upper floors.

Holmes looked up, and said: "Your three little birds have returned to their nests. Now, what's that? One of them seems to be fidgeting."

It turned out to be the Indian, whose silhouette was suddenly reflected on the curtain.He paced up and down the room incessantly.

"I would like to see each of the students once," said Holmes. "Is that all right?"

"No problem," said Soames. "These rooms are the oldest buildings in the College, and they are often visited by visitors. Come, and I will show you myself."

When we knocked at Gilchrist's door, Holmes said to Soames, "Please don't speak our names." A tall, thin, fair-haired young man opened the door, and when he knew we were coming When visiting, he welcomes you.There are some rare medieval interior structures in the house. Holmes is very interested in one of the structures and must copy it in his notebook. He broke the tip of a pencil and hoped to borrow one from the owner, and finally borrowed a knife to sharpen it. his own pencil.In the Indian room, he did the same.The Indian was a man of few words, of short stature, and with a hooked nose.He squinted at us, and looked very pleased when Holmes finished drawing the structure of the building.I do not see that Holmes found the clues he was looking for in these two rooms.We were not able to visit the third.No matter how we knocked, we couldn't knock on his door, and there was a burst of cursing from the door, mixed with angry roars: "I don't care who you are. Get out of here! I have an exam tomorrow, don't bother me." !"

Our client, flushed with anger, said as he descended the stairs: "How rude! Even if he didn't know it was me knocking, it would be rude to do so! In the current situation, he is worth it." Suspect."

Holmes' answer was very strange.He asked, "Can you tell me exactly how tall he is?"

"I cannot say for sure, Mr. Holmes. He is taller than the Indian, but not as tall as Gilchrist. About five foot six, I think."

"This is a very important point," said Holmes. "Then, Mr. Soames, we wish you good night."

(End of this chapter)