Методические рекомендации для поступающих в Калининградский государственный университет. Бабенко Н.Г. и др. - 21 стр.

                                                              Arthur Conan Doyle

    In 1895 Mr Sherlock Holmes and I spent some weeks in one of our great
University towns. It was during this time that the facts which I am going to tell
you took place.
    One evening we received a visit from a certain Mr Hilton Soams, lecturer at
the college of St Luke’s. Mr Soams was so excited that it was clear that some-
thing very unusual had happened.
    “I hope, Mr Holmes,” said he, “that you can give me a few hours of your
time. A very unpleasant thing has taken place at our college and I don’t know
what to do.”
    “I am very busy just now,” my friend answered. “Could you call to the po-
lice?”
    “No, no, my dear sir, that is absolutely impossible. It is just one of these
cases when it is quite necessary to avoid scandal. I am sure you will keep our
secret. You are the only man in the world who can help me. I beg you, Mr
Holmes, to do what you can.”
    Holmes agreed, though very unwillingly, and our visitor began his story.
    “I must explain to you, Mr Holmes,” he said, “that tomorrow is the first day
of the examination for the Fortescue Scholarship. I am one of the examiners. My
subject is Greek. The first of the examination papers consists of a piece of Greek
translation which the candidates for the scholarship have not seen before. Of
course, every candidate would be happy if he could see it before the examination
and prepare it in advance. So much care is taken to keep it secret.
    “Today at about three o’clock I was reading the proofs of the examination
papers. At four-thirty I went out to take tea in a friend’s room, and I left the pa-
pers upon my desk. I was absent a little more than an hour.
    “When I approached my door, I was surprised to see a key in it. For a mo-
ment I thought I had left my key there. But when I put my hand in my pocket, I
found my key in it. The other key of my room belonged to my servant,
Bannister, who has been looking after my room for ten years. I am absolutely
sure of his honesty. I understood that he had entered my study to ask if I wanted
tea. When he saw I was not there, he went out and very carelessly left the key in
the door.
    “The moment I looked at my table I knew that someone had touched the ex-
amination paper. There were three pages to it. I had left them all together. Now I
found one of them was lying on the floor; one was on a small table near the win-
dow; and the third was where I had left it on my desk.”
    Holmes spoke for the first time.
    “The first page on the floor, the second near the window, and the third where
you left it,” he repeated.

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