attached to a certain moth which he had, in his Yorkshire days, been
the first to describe.
"We now come to that portion of his life which has proved to be of
such intense interest to us. The fellow had evidently made inquiry
and found that only two lives intervened between him and a valuable
estate. When he went to Devonshire his plans were, I believe,
exceedingly hazy, but that he meant mischief from the first is
evident from the way in which he took his wife with him in the
character of his sister. The idea of using her as a decoy was clearly
already in his mind, though he may not have been certain how the
details of his plot were to be arranged. He meant in the end to have
the estate, and he was ready to use any tool or run any risk for that
end. His first act was to establish himself as near to his ancestral
home as he could, and his second was to cultivate a friendship with
Sir Charles Baskerville and with the neighbours.
"The baronet himself told him about the family hound, and so prepared
the way for his own death. Stapleton, as I will continue to call him,
knew that the old man's heart was weak and that a shock would kill
him. So much he had learned from Dr. Mortimer. He had heard also that
Sir Charles was superstitious and had taken this grim legend very
seriously. His ingenious mind instantly suggested a way by which the
baronet could be done to death, and yet it would be hardly possible
to bring home the guilt to the real murderer.
"Having conceived the idea he proceeded to carry it out with
considerable finesse. An ordinary schemer would have been content to
work with a savage hound. The use of artificial means to make the
creature diabolical was a flash of genius upon his part. The dog he
bought in London from Ross and Mangles, the dealers in Fulham Road.
It was the strongest and most savage in their possession. He brought
it down by the North Devon line and walked a great distance over the
moor so as to get it home without exciting any remarks. He had
already on his insect hunts learned to penetrate the Grimpen Mire,
and so had found a safe hiding-place for the creature. Here he
kennelled it and waited his chance.
"But it was some time coming. The old gentleman could not be decoyed
outside of his grounds at night. Several times Stapleton lurked about
with his hound, but without avail. It was during these fruitless
quests that he, or rather his ally, was seen by peasants, and that
the legend of the demon dog received a new confirmation. He had hoped
that his wife might lure Sir Charles to his ruin, but here she proved
unexpectedly independent. She would not endeavour to entangle the old
gentleman in a sentimental attachment which might deliver him over to
his enemy. Threats and even, I am sorry to say, blows refused to move
her. She would have nothing to do with it, and for a time Stapleton
was at a deadlock.
"He found a way out of his difficulties through the chance that Sir
Charles, who had conceived a friendship for him, made him the
minister of his charity in the case of this unfortunate woman, Mrs.
Laura Lyons. By representing himself as a single man he acquired
complete influence over her, and he gave her to understand that in
the event of her obtaining a divorce from her husband he would marry
her. His plans were suddenly brought to a head by his knowledge that
Sir Charles was about to leave the Hall on the advice of Dr.
Mortimer, with whose opinion he himself pretended to coincide. He
must act at once, or his victim might get beyond his power. He
therefore put pressure upon Mrs. Lyons to write this letter,
imploring the old man to give her an interview on the evening before
his departure for London. He then, by a specious argument, prevented
her from going, and so had the chance for which he had waited.
"Driving back in the evening from Coombe Tracey he was in time to get
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 gentleman waiting. The dog, incited by its master,
sprang over the wicket-gate and pursued the unfortunate baronet, who
fled screaming down the Yew Alley. In that gloomy tunnel it must
indeed have been a dreadful sight to see that huge black creature,
with its flaming jaws and blazing eyes, bounding after its victim. He
fell dead at the end of the alley from heart disease and terror. The
hound had kept upon the grassy border while the baronet had run down
the path, so that no track but the man's was visible. On seeing him
lying still the creature had probably approached to sniff at him, but
finding him dead had turned away again. 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, alarmed the
country-side, and finally brought 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 almost impossible to
make a case against the real murderer. His only accomplice was one
who could never give him away, and the grotesque, 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
impressed by the death occurring at the time of an uncancelled
appointment which was only known to him. However, both of them were
under his influence, and he had nothing 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 from Canada might possibly be done to death in
London without coming down to Devonshire at all. He distrusted his
wife ever since she had refused to help him in laying a trap for the
old man, and he dared not leave her long out of his sight for fear he
should lose his influence over her. It was for this reason that he
took her to London with him. They lodged, I find, at the Mexborough
Private Hotel, in Craven Street, which was actually one of those
called upon by my agent in search of evidence. Here he kept his wife
imprisoned in her room while he, disguised in a beard, followed Dr.
Mortimer to Baker Street and afterwards to the station and to the
Northumberland Hotel. His wife had some inkling 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 man whom she knew
to be in danger. 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 form the message, and
addressing the letter in a disguised hand. It reached the baronet,
and gave him the first warning of his danger.
"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, he
might always have the means of setting him upon his track. With
characteristic promptness and audacity he set about this at once, and
we cannot doubt that the boots or chamber-maid of the hotel was well
bribed to help him in his design. 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 to my mind that we
were dealing with a real hound, as no other supposition could explain
this anxiety to obtain an old boot and this indifference to a new
one. The more outr?and grotesque 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 from our friends next morning, shadowed always
by Stapleton in the cab. From his knowledge of our rooms and of my
appearance, as well as from his general conduct, I am inclined to
think that Stapleton's career of crime has been by no means limited
to this single 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 remarkable for the
cold-blooded pistoling of the page, who surprised the masked and
solitary burglar. I cannot doubt that Stapleton recruited his waning
resources in this fashion, and that for years he has been a desperate
and dangerous man.
"We had an example of his readiness of resource that morning when he
got away from us so successfully, and also of his audacity in sending
back my own name to me through 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 master was in London?"
"I have given 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 himself in his power by
sharing 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
schoolmastering 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 from the country. It is suggestive that Anthony is
not a common name in England, while Antonio is so in all Spanish or
Spanish-American countries. The man, like Mrs. Stapleton herself,
spoke good English, 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 master it was he who cared for the hound, though he may never
have known the purpose for which the beast was used.
"The Stapletons then went down to Devonshire, 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 I made
a close inspection for the water-mark. In doing so 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 criminal expert should be able to
distinguish from each other, and cases have more than once within my
own experience depended upon their prompt recognition. The scent
suggested the presence of a lady, and already my thoughts began to
turn towards the Stapletons. Thus I had made certain of the hound,
and had guessed at the criminal before ever we went to the west
country.
"It was my game to watch Stapleton. It was evident, however, that I
could not do this if I were with you, since he would be keenly on his
guard. I deceived everybody, therefore, yourself included, and I came
down secretly when I was supposed to be in London. My hardships were
not so great as you imagined, though such trifling details must never
interfere with the investigation of a case. I stayed for the most
part at Coombe Tracey, and only used the hut upon the moor when it
was necessary to be near the scene of action. Cartwright had come
down with me, and in his disguise as a country boy he was of great
assistance to me. I was dependent upon him for food and clean linen.
When I was watching Stapleton, Cartwright was frequently watching
you, so that I was able to keep my hand upon all the strings.
"I have already told you that your reports reached me rapidly, being
forwarded instantly from Baker Street to Coombe Tracey. They were of
great service to me, and especially that one incidentally truthful
piece of biography of Stapleton's. I was able to establish the
identity of the man and the woman and knew at last exactly how I
stood. The case had been considerably complicated through the
incident of the escaped convict and the relations between him and the
Barrymores. This also you cleared up in a very effective way, though
I had already come to the same conclusions from my own observations.
"By the time that you discovered me upon the moor I had a complete
