His visit to my room
must have been within a very few minutes of my leaving it.
His forgetfulness about the key would have mattered little
upon any other occasion, but on this one day it has produced
the most deplorable consequences.
"The moment I looked at my table I was aware that someone had
rummaged among my papers. The proof was in three long slips.
I had left them all together. Now, I found that one of them was
lying on the floor, one was on the side table near the window,
and the third was where I had left it."
Holmes 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.
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