Part III

The first door at which we knocked was opened by a tall fair young man with a pleasant face. Holmes told him that he wanted to see the old college rooms and make a plan of them. He began to draw something on a bit of paper, but very soon he broke his pencil and asked young Gilchrist for another one, then for a knife to sharpen it. The same thing happened when we entered the second room.

We could see that the Indian student – a silent, little fellow, was very glad when we left him alone. The student who occupied the third room refused to open the door, and we could hear his angry voice from behind it.

“I have an exam tomorrow, and I don’t want to see anyone,” he cried.

“A rude fellow,” Mr. Soames said angrily.

“Can you tell me his height?” Holmes asked suddenly.

“I think that he is taller than the Indian and not so tall as Gilchrist,” said the tutor. “But why do you want to know his height?”

“It is very important,” my friend answered, “And now, Mr. Soames, I wish you good night.”

The tutor was very much astonished.

“Mr. Holmes, are you leaving me?” he cried. “You don’t understand my position. I must decide something definite tonight. The examination cannot proceed, as someone has seen the papers.”

“No, no, Mr. Soames, you must change nothing,” Holmes answered. “I shall be here early tomorrow morning, and I hope to give you some advice then. Now I shall take the black clay with me, also the pencil cuttings. Good-bye.”

^“Well, Watson, what do you think of it?” Holmes asked, as we came out into the main street, “There are your three students. It must be one of them. Choose your man.”

“The rude fellow who did not open the door. But that Indian seemed very nervous as well.”

“They have their examination tomorrow. I see nothing in that.”

Part IV

Next day Holmes came into my room at eight in the morning.

“Hallo, Watson, are you coming to the college?” he said.

“Certainly,” I answered. “I shall be ready in a minute. But can you tell the tutor anything positive?”

“I think so,” my friend answered gaily, “for I have solved the mystery. I got up at six and had a long walk. Now, look at that.”

He showed me three little balls of black clay.

“But, Holmes, you had only two yesterday,” I exclaimed.

“And I found the third this morning. Well, come along. Our friend Mr. Soames will be very nervous if we are not at the appointed time.”

The tutor rushed towards Holmes as we entered his room.

“I am so happy that you have come,” he cried. “Can the examination proceed?”

“Certainly.”

“But this man?”

“Oh, he will not go in for examination.” “You know him?”

“I think so. We shall presently discuss this matter. You sit here, Mr. Soames, you here, Watson, and I shall take the arm-chair in the middle. Please ring the bell for your servant.”

“Now, Bannister,” said Holmes quietly when the old man came in, “close the door and tell us the truth about yesterday’s incident.”

The man turned pale.

“I have told you everything, sir,” he said.

“Well, then I shall add some details that you have not mentioned. You sat down in that arm-chair yesterday, because you wanted to conceal some object that was lying there. You knew that there was somebody in Mr. Soames’ bedroom, and you let the man out when Mr. Soames had gone.”

“There was no one, sir,” Bannister cried.

“We shall soon find that out. Now, Mr. Soames, please tell young Gilchrist that we want to see him.”

A moment later the young man came into the room. He looked at us and then at Bannister in surprise.

“Close the door, please,” Holmes said. “Now, Mr. Gilchrist, we are all quite alone here, and no one shall ever know one word of what passes between us. We can be frank with each other. Tell us why you did such a thing, for we know that it was you who copied the text.”

The young man turned very red and looked at Bannister.

“No, no, Mr. Gilchrist, sir, I did not say anything,” the old man cried.

There was silence for a few moments. Then suddenly Gilchrist covered his face with his hands and began to sob like a child.

“Come, come,” Holmes said kindly. “I think that I shall tell Mr. Soames what happened and you can correct me where I am wrong. Shall I do so?” As young Gilchrist did not say a word, Holmes proceeded: “When you told me, Mr. Soames, that nobody knew about the papers I began to think this was not so. When I examined your window I did not think that anyone could get into your room through it, but I thought that a tall man could very well see that the papers were on your desk. Your remark that Gilchrist was a long­-distance jumper helped me very much. This young man spent the afternoon at the athletic grounds. He returned to the college, carrying his shoes, which are provided with several sharp spikes. As he passed your window he saw the papers on your desk. Then, when he was going by your door he noticed the key left by Bannister. He decided to step in and have a look at the papers. So he put his shoes on the side table and – what did you put on the chair near the window?”

‘My gloves,” Gilchrist said in a very low voice. Holmes looked at Bannister and then continued:

“So he put his gloves on the chair and took up the papers. The temptation was too great, and he decided to copy them. But you, Mr. Soames, returned by the side door, and the young man heard your steps. He rushed to your bedroom. In his hurry to get away he left his gloves, but he caught up his shoes, and in doing so scratched your table with one of the sharp spikes. You can see that the scratch on the table deepens in the direction of the bedroom door. A small ball of clay from his shoe fell on the table and another on the bedroom floor. I was at the athletic grounds this morning and saw that black clay with sawdust which is used to prevent the jumper from slipping. Is it correct, Gilchrist?”

The young man was silent.

“Have you nothing to say?” cried Mr. Soames.

“Yes, I have.” Gilchrist spoke with difficulty. “Here is a letter for you, sir. I wrote it during my sleepless night. I did not know that everything was out. When you read it you will see that I have decided not to go in for examination.”

“I am very pleased to hear this,” the tutor exclaimed, “but what made you change your plans?” Gilchrist looked at Bannister. “I must thank him for it,” he answered.

“Now, Bannister,” Holmes said, turning to the servant, “help us with this last point.”

“Oh, it is very simple, sir. For many years I was butler in this young man’s house. When old Mr. Gilchrist was ruined I came to his son’s college as servant, but I did not forget the family. I loved the boy whom I had dandled on my knee. Well, sir, when I came into the room yesterday after Mr. Soames had given the alarm, I saw Mr. Gilchrist’s gloves in that arm-chair and understood everything. So I sank into the chair, saying that I was unwell, and remained there all the time. When Mr. Soames had gone, Mr. Gilchrist came out and told me the truth. “I knew the boy needed that scholarship badly, but I think, sir, it was natural for me to try to save him and speak to him about this deed as his father would have done.”

“You are a good man, Bannister,” Holmes said, shaking his hand heartily. “The matter is clear now, Mr. Soames, and your examination can start at the appointed hour. As for you, young man,” he said, turning to Gilchrist, “you have fallen low this time, but I hope that in the future you will rise high. Come, Watson. Our breakfast awaits us at home.”

The End!

2. According to “Twenty rules for writing detective stories” (1928) by Van Dine: “The detective story is a kind of intellectual game. It is more — it is a sporting event. And for the writing of detective stories there are very definite laws — unwritten, perhaps, but nonetheless binding; and every respectable and self-respecting creator of literary mysteries lives up to them”.

What rules did A. Conan Doyle use while writing “The Three Students”?

Complete the following table:

Rules for writing a detective story	Examples from “The Three Students” after A. Conan Doyle
1. The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.	Gilchrist was mentioned in the second part of the story, but he was the least suspected from the three students.
2. The detective declares all the clues which he may discover.	Sherlock Holmes declares all the clues he has discovered in the end.
3.
4.
5.