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 might very well run a risk in order to gain an
advantage over his fellows.

"Bannister was very much upset by the incident. He had nearly fainted
when we found that the papers had undoubtedly been tampered with. I gave
him a little brandy and left him collapsed in a chair while I made a
most careful examination of the room. I soon saw that the intruder had
left other traces of his presence besides the rumpled papers. On the
table in the window were several shreds from a pencil which had been
sharpened. A broken tip of lead was lying there also. Evidently the
rascal had copied the paper in a great hurry, had broken his pencil, and
had been compelled to put a fresh point to it."

"Excellent!" said Holmes, who was recovering his good-humour as his
attention became more engrossed by the case. "Fortune has been your
friend."

"This was not all. I have a new writing-table with a fine surface of red
leather. I am prepared to swear, and so is Bannister, that it was
smooth and unstained. Now I found a clean cut in it about three inches
long--not a mere scratch, but a positive cut. Not only this, but on
the table I found a small ball of black dough, or clay, with specks
of something which looks like sawdust in it. I am convinced that
these marks were left by the man who rifled the papers. There were no
footmarks and no other evidence as to his identity. I was at my wits'
ends, when suddenly the happy thought occurred to me that you were in
the town, and I came straight round to put the matter into your hands.
Do help me, Mr. Holmes! You see my dilemma. Either I must find the
man or else the examination must be postponed until fresh papers are
prepared, and since this cannot be done without explanation there
will ensue a hideous scandal, whic