?"

"yes, my dear watson; i have solved the mystery."

"but what fresh evidence could you have got?"

"aha! it is not for nothing that i have turned myself out

of bed at the untimely hour of six. i have put in two

hours' hard work and covered at least five miles, with

something to show for it. look at that!"

he held out his hand. on the palm were three little

pyramids of black, doughy clay.

"why, holmes, you had only two yesterday!"

"and one more this morning. it is a fair argument that

wherever no. 3 came from is also the source of nos. 1 and 2.

eh, watson? well, come along and put friend soames out

of his pain."

the unfortunate tutor was certainly in a state of pitiable

agitation when we found him in his chambers. in a few

hours the examinations would commence, and he was still in

the dilemma between making the facts public and allowing

the culprit to compete for the valuable scholarship.

he could hardly stand still, so great was his mental

agitation, and he ran towards holmes with two eager hands

outstretched.

"thank heaven that you have come! i feared that you had

given it up in despair. what am i to do? shall the

examination proceed?"

"yes; let it proceed by all means."

"but this rascal ----?"

"he shall not compete."

"you know him?"

"i think so. if this matter is not to become public we

must give ourselves certain powers, and resolve ourselves

into a small private court-martial. you there, if you

please, soames! watson, you here! i'll take the arm-chair

in the middle. i think that we are now sufficiently

imposing to strike terror into a guilty breast. kindly

ring the bell!"

bannister entered, and shrunk back in evident surprise and

fear at our judicial appearance.

"you will kindly close the door," said holmes.

"now, bannister, will you please tell us the truth about

yesterday's incident?"

the man turned white to the roots of his hair.

"i have told you everything, sir."

"nothing to add?"

"nothing at all, sir."

"well, then, i must make some suggestions to you. when you

sat down on that chair yesterday, did you do so in order to

conceal some object which would have shown who had been in

the room?"

bannister's face was ghastly.

"no, sir; certainly not."

"it is only a suggestion," said holmes, suavely.

"i frankly admit that i am unable to prove it. but it seems

probable enough, since the moment that mr. soames's back

was turned you released the man who was hiding in that

bedroom."

bannister licked his dry lips.

"there was no man, sir."

"ah, that's a pity, bannister. up to now you may have

spoken the truth, but now i know that you have lied."

the man's face set in sullen defiance.

"there was no man, sir."

"come, come, bannister!"

"no, sir; there was no one."

"in that case you can give us no further information.

would you please remain in the room? stand over there near

the bedroom door. now, soames, i am going to ask you to

have the great kindness to go up to the room of young

gilchrist, and to ask him to step down into yours."

an instant later the tutor returned, bringing with him the

student. he was a fine figure of a man, tall, lithe, and

agile, with a springy step and a pleasant, open face.

his troubled blue eyes glanced at each of us, and finally

rested with an expression of blank dismay upon bannister

in the farther corner.

"just close the door," said holmes. "now, mr. gilchrist,

we are all quite alone here, and no one need ever know one

word of what passes between us. we can be perfectly frank

with each other. we want to know, mr. gilchrist, how you,

an honourable man, ever came to commit such an action as

that of yesterday?"

the unfortunate young man staggered back and cast a look

full of horror and reproach at bannister.

"no, no, mr. gilchrist, sir; i never said a word -- never

one word!" cried the servant.

"no, but you have now," said holmes. "now, sir, you must

see that after bannister's words your position is hopeless,

and that your only chance lies in a frank confession."

for a moment gilchrist, with upraised hand, tried to

control his writhing features. the next he had thrown

himself on his knees beside the table and, burying his face

in his hands, he had burst into a storm of passionate

sobbing.

"come, come," said holmes, kindly; "it is human to err, and

at least no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal.

perhaps it would be easier for you if i were to tell mr.

soames what occurred, and you can check me where i am

wrong. shall i do so? well, well, don't trouble to

answer. listen, and see that i do you no injustice.

"from the moment, mr. soames, that you said to me that no

one, not even bannister, could have told that the papers

were in your room, the case began to take a definite shape

in my mind. the printer one cou