"Ah, then Upton was not mistaken. He says he left one. Unfortunately, I am not able to find it, Edwards. You—er—you don't happen to know where it is, Edwards?"
"I, sir!" Steve's tone was incredulous. "Why, no, Mr. Daley. It was on the table when I left, and——"
"Er—just a moment!" Mr. Daley held up a hand, smiling nervously. "I don't mean to suggest that you carried the book off intentionally, Edwards, but it occurred to me that possibly you might have—er—taken it up by mistake, absentmindedly, so to say, and—er—brought it up here with you."
"No, sir, I didn't." Steve looked at the instructor questioningly. "I don't see why you'd imagine that, sir, either."
"Er—well, I knew—that is, someone told me that you were in my room, Edwards, and I thought—that possibly—quite by accident—you had—er——"
"I was in your room, Mr. Daley, and I waited two or three minutes for you; maybe longer; and the blue-book was on the table when I went in and it was there when I came out."
"You—you had a blue-book in your hand, however, did you not, when you—er—left?"
"A blue-book? No, sir."
"Oh! That is strange, Edwards. You are certain you didn't take down a blue-book of your own and bring it back again?"
"Absolutely sure, sir."