since it serves

to illustrate some of those qualities for which my friend

was remarkable. 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.

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. here it was that one evening

we received a visit from an acquaintance, mr. hilton

soames, tutor and lecturer at the college of st. luke's.

mr. soames was a tall, spare man, of a nervous and

excitable temperament. 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.

"i trust, mr. holmes, that you can spare me a few hours of

your valuable time. we have had a very painful incident at

st. luke's, and really, but for the happy chance of your

being in the town, i should have been at a loss what to

do."

"i am very busy just now, and i desire no distractions," my

friend answered. "i should much prefer that you called in

the aid of the police."

"no, no, my dear sir; such a course is utterly impossible.

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. your

discretion is as well known as your powers, and you are the

one man in the world who can help me. i beg you, mr.

holmes, to do what you can."

my friend's temper had not improved since he had been

deprived of the congenial surroundings of baker street.

without his scrap-books, his chemicals, and his homely

untidiness, he was an uncomfortable man. he shrugged his

shoulders in ungracious acquiescence, while our visitor in

hurried words and with much excitable gesticulation poured

forth his story.

"i must explain to you, mr. holmes, that to-morrow is the

first day of the examination for the fortescue scholarship.

i am one of the examiners. my subject is greek, and the

first of the papers consists of a large passage of greek

translation which the candidate has not seen. this passage

is printed on the examination paper, and it would naturally

be an immense advantage if the candidate could prepare it

in advance. for this reason great care is taken to keep

the paper secret.

"to-day about three o'clock the proofs of this paper

arrived from the printers. the exercise consists of half a

chapter of thucydides. i had to read it over carefully, as

the text must be absolutely correct. at four-thirty my

task was not yet completed. i had, however, promised to

take tea in a friend's rooms, so i left the proof upon my

desk. i was absent rather more than an hour.

"you are aware, mr. holmes, that our college doors are

double -- a green baize one within and a heavy oak one

without. as i approached my outer door i was amazed to see

a key in it. 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. 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. 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. his visit to my room must

have been within a very few minutes of my leaving it. 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.

"the moment i looked at my table i was aware that someone

had rummaged among my papers. the proof was in three long

slips. i had left them all together. 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."

holmes stirred for the first time.

"the first page on the floor, the second in the window, the

third where you left it," said he.

"exactly, mr. holmes. you amaze me. how could you

possibly know that?"

"pray continue your very interesting statement."

"for an instant i imagined that bannister had taken the

unpardonable liberty of examining my papers. he denied it,

however, with the utmost earnestness, and i am convinced

that he was speaking the truth. 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. a

large sum of money is at stake, for the scholarship is a

very valuable one, and an unscrupulous man