nine o'clock
I mention it not because I suspect any boy here of a dishonourable act , but because -- the matter being a mystery -- I feel I must not neglect the most remote opportunity of clearing it up . '' What on earth was coming ? It was as good as a ghost story , every one was so spellbound and mystified . `` On Saturday evening I had occasion to leave my study for rather less than five minutes , shortly after nine o'clock . I had been engaged in getting together the various papers of questions for to-day 's examinations , and left them lying on the corner of the table . On returning to my study -- I had not been absent five minutes -- I found that one of the papers -- one of the Nightingale Scholarship papers , which I had only just copied out , was missing . If I were not perfectly sure the full number was there before I left the room , I should conclude I was mistaken , but of that I am sure .