“It is only a suggestion,” said Holmes, suavely. “I frankly admitthat I am unable to prove it. But it seems probable enough, sincethe moment that Mr. Soames’s back was turned, you released theman 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 thetruth, 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 youplease remain in the room? Stand over there near the bedroomdoor. Now, Soames, I am going to ask you to have the greatkindness to go up to the room of young Gilchrist, and to ask himto step down into yours.”
An instant later the tutor returned, bringing with him thestudent. He was a fine figure of a man, tall, lithe, and agile, witha springy step and a pleasant, open face. His troubled blue eyesglanced at each of us, and finally rested with an expression ofblank dismay upon Bannister in the farther corner.
“Just close the door,” said Holmes. “Now, Mr. Gilchrist, we areall quite alone here, and no one need ever know one word of whatpasses between us. We can be perfectly frank with each other. Wewant to know, Mr. Gilchrist, how you, an honourable man, evercame to commit such an action as that of yesterday?”
The unfortunate young man staggered back, and cast a look fullof horror and reproach at Bannister.
“No, no, Mr. Gilchrist, sir, I never said a word—never oneword!” cried the servant.
“No, but you have now,” said Holmes. “Now, sir, you must seethat after Bannister’s words your position is hopeless, and thatyour only chance lies in a frank confession.”
For a moment Gilchrist, with upraised hand, tried to control hiswrithing features. The next he had thrown himself on his kneesbeside the table, and burying his face in his hands, he had burstinto a storm of passionate sobbing.
“Come, come,” said Holmes, kindly, “it is human to err, and atleast no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal. Perhaps itwould 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 noone, not even Bannister, could have told that the papers were in1010 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
your room, the case began to take a definite shape in my mind. Theprinter one could, of course, dismiss. He could examine the papersin his own office. The Indian I also thought nothing of. If theproofs were in a roll, he could not possibly know what they were.
On the other hand, it seemed an unthinkable coincidence that aman should dare to enter the room, and that by chance on that veryday the papers were on the table. I dismissed that. The man whoentered knew that the papers were there. How did he know?
“When I approached your room, I examined the window. Youamused me by supposing that I was contemplating the possibilityof someone having in broad daylight, under the eyes of all theseopposite rooms, forced himself through it. Such an idea wasabsurd. I was measuring how tall a man would need to be in orderto see, as he passed, what papers were on the central table. I amsix feet high, and I could do it with an effort. No one less thanthat would have a chance. Already you see I had reason to thinkthat, if one of your three students was a man of unusual height, hewas the most worth watching of the three.
“I entered, and I took you into my confidence as to thesuggestions of the side table. Of the centre table I could makenothing, until in your description of Gilchrist you mentionedthat he was a long-distance jumper. Then the whole thing came tome in an instant, and I only needed certain corroborative proofs,which I speedily obtained.
“What happened with {sic} this: This young fellow hademployed his afternoon at the athletic grounds, where he hadbeen practising the jump. He returned carrying his jumping-shoes,which are provided, as you are aware, with several sharp spikes. Ashe passed your window he saw, by means of his great height, theseproofs upon your table, and conjectured what they were. No harmwould have been done had it not been that, as he passed your door,he perceived the key which had been left by the carelessness of yourservant. A sudden impulse came over him to enter, and see if theywere indeed the proofs. It was not a dangerous exploit for he couldalways pretend that he had simply looked in to ask a question.
“Well, when he saw that they were indeed the proofs, it wasthen that he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on the table.
What was it you put on that chair near the window?”
“Gloves,” said the young man.
Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister. “He put his gloves onthe chair, and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy them. Hethought the tutor must return by the main gate and that he wouldsee him. As we know, he came back by the side gate. Suddenlyhe heard him at the very door. There was no possible escape. Heforgot his gloves but he caught up his shoes and darted into theThe Return of Sherlock Holmes 1011
bedroom. You observe that the scratch on that table is slight atone side, but deepens in the direction of the bedroom door. Thatin itself is enough to show us that the shoe had been drawn in thatdirection, and that the culprit had taken refuge there. The earthround the spike had been left on the table, and a second samplewas loosened and fell in the bedroom. I may add that I walkedout to the athletic grounds this morning, saw that tenacious blackclay is used in the jumping-pit and carried away a specimen of it,together with some of the fine tan or sawdust which is strewn overit to prevent the athlete from slipping. Have I told the truth, Mr.
Gilchrist?”
The student had drawn himself erect.
“Yes, sir, it is true,” said he.
“Good heavens! have you nothing to add?” cried Soames.