The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 32 (1/2)
”He found a way out of his difficulties through the chance that Sir Charles, who had conceived a friendshi+p for him, made him the minister of his charity in the case of this unfortunate wole ave her to understand that in the event of her obtaining a divorce from her husband he would ht to a head by his knowledge that Sir Charles was about to leave the Hall on the advice of Dr Mortimer, hose opinion he himself pretended to coincide He et beyond his power He therefore put pressure upon Mrs Lyons to write this letter, i before his departure for London He then, by a specious argu, and so had the chance for which he had waited
”Driving back in the evening froet his hound, to treat it with his infernal paint, and to bring the beast round to the gate at which he had reason to expect that he would find the old gentle over the wicket-gate and pursued the unfortunate baronet, who fled screalooht to see that huge black creature, with its fla after its victim He fell dead at the end of the alley frorassy border while the baronet had run down the path, so that no track but thestill the creature had probably approached to sniff at hiain It was then that it left the print which was actually observed by Dr Mortimer The hound was called off and hurried away to its lair in the Grimpen Mire, and a mystery was left which puzzled the authorities, alarht the case within the scope of our observation
”So much for the death of Sir Charles Baskerville You perceive the devilish cunning of it, for really it would be alainst the real ive hirotesque, inconceivable nature of the device only served to make it more effective Both of the women concerned in the case, Mrs Stapleton and Mrs Laura Lyons, were left with a strong suspicion against Stapleton Mrs Stapleton knew that he had designs upon the old man, and also of the existence of the hound
Mrs Lyons knew neither of these things, but had been i at the time of an uncancelled appointment which was only known to him However, both of the to fear from them The first half of his task was successfully accomplished but the more difficult still remained
”It is possible that Stapleton did not know of the existence of an heir in Canada In any case he would very soon learn it from his friend Dr
Mortimer, and he was told by the latter all details about the arrival of Henry Baskerville Stapleton's first idea was that this young stranger froht possibly be done to death in London without co down to Devonshi+re at all He distrusted his wife ever since she had refused to help hi a trap for the old ht for fear he should lose his influence over her It was for this reason that he took her to London with hih Private Hotel, in Craven Street, which was actually one of those called upon by ent in search of evidence Here he kept his wife iuised in a beard, followed Dr Mortimer to Baker Street and afterwards to the station and to the Northu of his plans; but she had such a fear of her husband--a fear founded upon brutal ill-treatment--that she dare not write to warn the er If the letter should fall into Stapleton's hands her own life would not be safe Eventually, as we know, she adopted the expedient of cutting out the words which would foruised hand It reached the baronet, and gave hier
”It was very essential for Stapleton to get some article of Sir Henry's attire so that, in case he was driven to use the dog, hehim upon his track With characteristic promptness and audacity he set about this at once, and we cannot doubt that the boots or chamber-n By chance, however, the first boot which was procured for him was a new one and, therefore, useless for his purpose He then had it returned and obtained another--a most instructive incident, since it proved conclusively towith a real hound, as no other supposition could explain this anxiety to obtain an old boot and this indifference to a new one The rotesque an incident is the more carefully it deserves to be examined, and the very point which appears to complicate a case is, when duly considered and scientifically handled, the one which is most likely to elucidate it
”Then we had the visit fro, shadowed always by Stapleton in the cab Froe of our rooeneral conduct, I am inclined to think that Stapleton's career of crile Baskerville affair It is suggestive that during the last three years there have been four considerable burglaries in the west country, for none of which was any criminal ever arrested The last of these, at Folkestone Court, in May, was ree, who surprised the lar I cannot doubt that Stapleton recruited his waning resources in this fashi+on, and that for years he has been a desperate and dangerous man
”We had an exaot away fro back h the cabman From that moment he understood that I had taken over the case in London, and that therefore there was no chance for him there He returned to Dartmoor and awaited the arrival of the baronet”
”One moment!” said I ”You have, no doubt, described the sequence of events correctly, but there is one point which you have left unexplained What became of the hound when its iven some attention to this matter and it is undoubtedly of importance There can be no question that Stapleton had a confidant, though it is unlikely that he ever placed hi all his plans with him There was an old manservant at Merripit House, whose name was Anthony His connection with the Stapletons can be traced for several years, as far back as the school- days, so that he must have been aware that his master and mistress were really husband and wife This man has disappeared and has escaped froestive that Anthony is not a coland, while Antonio is so in all Spanish or Spanish-American countries The lish, but with a curious lisping accent I have myself seen this old man cross the Grimpen Mire by the path which Stapleton had marked out It is very probable, therefore, that in the absence of his h he may never have known the purpose for which the beast was used
”The Stapletons then went down to Devonshi+re, whither they were soon followed by Sir Henry and you One word now as to how I stood myself at that time It may possibly recur to your memory that when I examined the paper upon which the printed words were fastened Iso I held it within a few inches of my eyes, and was conscious of a faint smell of the scent known as white jessamine There are seventy-five perfumes, which it is very necessary that a criuish from each other, and cases have more than once within nition The scent suggested the presence of a lady, and already an to turn towards the Stapletons Thus I had uessed at the criminal before ever ent to the west country