The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 15 (2/2)
”Then perhaps you would mention that I propose to do so We s more easy for his Will you come upstairs, Dr
Watson, and inspect my collection of Lepidoptera? I think it is the land By the tih theet back to e The melancholy of the moor, the death of the unfortunate pony, the weird sound which had been associated with the grihts with sadness Then on the top of these ue i of Miss Stapleton, delivered with such intense earnestness that I could not doubt that sorave and deep reason lay behind it I resisted all pressure to stay for lunch, and I set off at once upon rown path by which we had come
It seems, however, that there must have been some short cut for those who knew it, for before I had reached the road I was astounded to see Miss Stapleton sitting upon a rock by the side of the track Her face was beautifully flushed with her exertions and she held her hand to her side
”I have run all the way in order to cut you off, Dr Watson,” said she
”I had not even time to put on my hat I must not stop, or my brother may miss me I wanted to say to you how sorry I a that you were Sir Henry Please forget the words I said, which have no application whatever to you”
”But I can't forget them, Miss Stapleton,” said I ”I am Sir Henry's friend, and his welfare is a very close concern of er that Sir Henry should return to London”
”A woman's whim, Dr Watson When you know ive reasons for what I say or do”
”No, no I remember the thrill in your voice I remember the look in your eyes Please, please, be frank with me, Miss Stapleton, for ever since I have been here I have been conscious of shadows all round reat Grireen patches everywhere into which one uide to point the track
Tell me then what it was that youto Sir Henry”
An expression of irresolution passed for an instant over her face, but her eyes had hardened again when she answered me
”You make too much of it, Dr Watson,” said she ”My brother and I were very much shocked by the death of Sir Charles We knew him very intimately, for his favourite as over the moor to our house He was deeply i over the faedy carounds for the fears which he had expressed I was distressed therefore when another member of the family came down to live here, and I felt that he should be warned of the danger which he will run That was all which I intended to convey
”But what is the danger?”
”You know the story of the hound?”
”I do not believe in such nonsense”
”But I do If you have any influence with Sir Henry, take him away from a place which has always been fatal to his family The world is wide
Why should he wish to live at the place of danger?”
”Because it is the place of danger That is Sir Henry's nature I fear that unless you can give me some more definite inforet hi definite, for I do not know anything definite”
”I would ask you one more question, Miss Stapleton If you meant no more than this when you first spoke to me, why should you not wish your brother to overhear what you said? There is nothing to which he, or anyone else, could object”
”My brother is very anxious to have the Hall inhabited, for he thinks it is for the good of the poor folk upon the ry if he knew that I have said anything which o away But I have done o back, or he will miss me and suspect that I have seen you Good-bye!”
She turned and had disappeared in a fewthe scattered boulders, while I, with ue fears, pursued my way to Baskerville Hall
Chapter 8 First Report of Dr Watson
From this point onward I will follow the course of events by transcribing my own letters to Mr Sherlock Hol, but otherwise they are exactly as written and show s and suspicions of the moment ic events, can possibly do