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"It's impossible, they'll both be released. To begin with, the

whole story contradicts itself. Why should they have called the

porter, if it had been their doing? To inform against themselves?

Or as a blind? No, that would be too cunning! Besides,

Pestryakov, the student, was seen at the gate by both the porters

and a woman as he went in. He was walking with three friends, who

left him only at the gate, and he asked the porters to direct

him, in the presence of the friends. Now, would he have asked his

way if he had been going with such an object? As for Koch, he

spent half an hour at the silversmith's below, before he went up

to the old woman and he left him at exactly a quarter to eight.

Now just consider..."

"But excuse me, how do you explain this contradiction? They state

themselves that they knocked and the door was locked; yet three

minutes later when they went up with the porter, it turned out

the door was unfastened."