He arrived at the deduction that the butler didn't do it.

His father, who died a few months, was the P'an Ta-jen of Sir Aurel Stein's books, the scholarly administrator by whose friendly interest his explorations were so well furthered. A scholar and a gentleman of the old tradition, and an able official who had had many high posts, he was beloved throughout the province of Hsin-chiang, where he was known as P'an the Good.

I hope everyone enjoyed the meal.

“...As for this thing”, ... he held up the shuttlecock, contaminated, in his outstretched right [hand], “this idiot tickler, the only thing it's good for is eeny-meeny-miney-mo”.