The Adventure of the Three Students

           Itwasintheyear’95thatacombinationofevents,intowhichIneednotenter,causedMr.SherlockHolmesandmyselftospendsomeweeksinoneofourgreatuniversitytowns,anditwasduringthistimethatthesmallbutinstructiveadventurewhichIamabouttorelatebefellus.Itwillbeobviousthatanydetailswhichwouldhelpthereaderexactlytoidentifythecollegeorthecriminalwouldbeinjudiciousandoffensive.Sopainfulascandalmaywellbeallowedtodieout.Withduediscretiontheincidentitselfmay,however,bedescribed,sinceitservestoillustratesomeofthosequalitiesforwhichmyfriendwasremarkable.Iwillendeavour,inmystatement,toavoidsuchtermsaswouldservetolimittheeventstoanyparticularplace,orgiveaclueastothepeopleconcerned.

           WewereresidingatthetimeinfurnishedlodgingsclosetoalibrarywhereSherlockHolmeswaspursuingsomelaboriousresearchesinearlyEnglishcharters—researcheswhichledtoresultssostrikingthattheymaybethesubjectofoneofmyfuturenarratives.Hereitwasthatoneeveningwereceivedavisitfromanacquaintance,Mr.HiltonSoames,tutorandlecturerattheCollegeofSt.Luke’s.Mr.Soameswasatall,spareman,ofanervousandexcitabletemperament.Ihadalwaysknownhimtoberestlessinhismanner,butonthisparticularoccasionhewasinsuchastateofuncontrollableagitationthatitwasclearsomethingveryunusualhadoccurred.

           “Itrust,Mr.Holmes,thatyoucansparemeafewhoursofyourvaluabletime.WehavehadaverypainfulincidentatSt.