September 18, 2025 • 26 mins
15 - A Retrospection. The Hound of The Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the four crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound of supernatural origin. Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson investigate the case. This was the first appearance of Holmes since his intended death in "The Final Problem", and the success of The Hound of the Baskervilles led to the character's eventual revival.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the four crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound of supernatural origin. Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson investigate the case. This was the first appearance of Holmes since his intended death in "The Final Problem", and the success of The Hound of the Baskervilles led to the character's eventual revival.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fifteen of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. This LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain.
Read by Bomnefeld, Chapter fifteen A retrospection. It was the
(00:20):
end of November, and Holmes and Eye sat upon a
raw and foggy night, on either side of a blazing
fire in our sitting room in Baker Street. Since the
tragic upshot of our visit to Devonshire, he had engaged
in two affairs of the utmost importance, in the first
of which she had exposed the atrocious conduct of Colonel
(00:42):
Upwood in connection with the famous card scandal of the
known Perrail Club, while in the second he had defended
the unfortunate Madame Montpacier from the charge of murder which
hung over her in connection with the death of her
step daughter, Mademoiselle Carrere, the young lady, who, as it
will be remembered, was found six months later alive and
(01:04):
married in New York. My friend was in excellent spirits
over the success which had attended a succession of difficult
and important cases, so that I was able to induce
him to discuss the details of the Baskerville mystery. I
had waited patiently for the opportunity, for I was aware
that he would never permit cases to overlap, and that
(01:26):
his clear and logical mind would not be drawn from
its present work to dwell upon memories of the past.
Sir Henry and doctor Mortimer were, however, in London on
their way to that long voyage which had been recommended
for the restoration of his shattered nerves. They had called
upon us that very afternoon, so that it was natural
(01:47):
that the subject should come up for discussion. The whole
course of events, said Holmes, from the point of view
of the man who caught himself Stapleton was simple and direct.
To us, who had no means in the beginning of
knowing the motives of his actions, and could only learn
part of the facts, it all appeared exceedingly complex. I
(02:10):
have had the advantage of two conversations with Missus Stapleton,
and the case has now been so entirely cleared up
that I am not aware that there is anything which
has remained a secret to us. You will find a
few notes upon the matter under the heading B in
my indexed list of cases. Perhaps you would kindly give
(02:31):
me a sketch of the course of events from memory. Certainly,
though I cannot guarantee that I will carry all the
facts in my mind. Intense mental concentration is a curious
way of blotting out what has passed. The barrister, who
has his case at his fingers ends and is able
to argue with an expert upon his own subject, finds
(02:53):
that a week or two of the courts will drive
it all out of his head. Once more. So, each
of my cases to this place is the last, and
Mademoiselle Carrere has blurred my recollection of Baskerville Hall. Tomorrow,
some other little problem may be submitted to my notice,
which will in turn dispossess the fair French lady and
(03:14):
the infamous upward. So far as the case of the
Hound goes, however, I will give you the course of
events as nearly as I can, and you will suggest
anything which I may have forgotten. My inquiries show beyond
all question that the family portrait did not lie, and
(03:35):
that this fellow was indeed a Baskerville. He was a
son of that Roger Baskerville, the younger brother of Sir Charles,
who fled with a sinister reputation to South America, where
he was said to have died unmarried. He did, as
a matter of fact, Mary, and had one child. This fellow,
whose real name is the same as his father's, he
(03:58):
married Beryl gard Garcia, one of the beauties of Costa Rica,
and having purloined a considerable sum of public money, he
changed his name to Vandaler and fled to England, where
he established a school in the east of Yorkshire. His
reason for attempting this special line of business was that
he had struck up an acquaintance with a consumptive tutor
(04:20):
upon the voyage home, and that he had used this
man's ability to make the undertaking a success. Fraser the
tutor died, however, and the school, which had begun well
sank from disrepute into infamy. The Vandalers made it convenient
to change their name to Stapleton, and he brought the
(04:42):
remains of his fortune, his schemes for the future, and
his taste for entomology to the South of England. I
learned the British Museum that he was of recognized authority
upon the subject, and that the name of Vandaler has
been permanently attached to a certain moth, which he had,
in his Yorkshire days, been the first to describe. We
(05:05):
now come to that portion of his life which was
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,
(05:26):
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 have not 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
(05:48):
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 cautvade of friendship with Sir Charles Baskerville and with
the neighbors. The baronet himself told him about the family hound,
and so prepared the way for his own death. Stapleton,
(06:13):
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 doctor Mornimer.
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
(06:36):
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
(06:56):
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
(07:17):
home without exciting any remarks. He had already on his
insect hunts learned to penetrate the grimp and mire, and
so he found a safe hiding place for the creature.
Here he kenneled it and waited his chance, But it
was some time in coming. The old gentleman could not
(07:38):
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
(07:59):
his wife might lure Sir Charles to his ruin, but
here she proved unexpectedly independent. She would not endeavor to
entangle the old gentleman in a sentimental attachment which might
deliver him over to his enemy threats, and even I'm
sorry to say blows refused to move her. She would
(08:20):
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,
Missus Laura Lyons. By representing himself as a single man,
(08:42):
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 Doctor Mortimer, with whose opinion he himself pretended
to coincide he must act at once, for his victim
(09:06):
might get beyond his power. He therefore put pressure upon
Missus 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 Combe Tracy,
(09:31):
he was in time to get his hound, to treat
it with his infernal paint, and to bring the beasts
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 gates and
pursued the unfortunate baronet, who fled screaming down the yew alley.
(09:53):
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
(10:13):
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 doctor Mortimer. The hound was called off
(10:36):
and hurried away to its lair in the grimp and mire,
and a mystery was left which puzzled the authorities, alarmed
the countryside, and finally brought the case within the scope
of our observation. So much for the death of Sir
Charles Baskerville, you perceived the devilish cunning of it, For really,
(10:57):
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, Missus Stapleton and
Missus Laura Lyons, were left with a strong suspicion against Stapleton.
(11:20):
Missus Stapleton knew that he had designs upon the old Man,
and also of the existence of the hound. Missus Lyons
knew neither of these things, but had been impressed by
the death occurring at the time of the uncanceled appointments,
which was only known to him. However, both of them
were under his influence, and he had nothing to fear
(11:43):
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. You
soon learn it from his friend doctor Mortimer, and he
was told by the latter all details about the arrival
(12:06):
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
(12:29):
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 doctor Mortimer to Baker Street, and afterwards
(12:52):
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 brusal
ill treatments, that she dared 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
(13:13):
not be safe. Eventually, as we know, she adopted the
experient of cutting out the words which would form the message,
and addressing the letter in a disguised hand. It reached
the Baronets and gave him the first warning of his danger.
It is very essential for Stapleton to get some article
(13:35):
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 chambermaid of the hotel
was well bribed to help him in his design. By chance, however,
(13:57):
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
(14:19):
indifference to a new one. The more otre and grotesque
and incident is, the more carefully it deserved 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
(14:40):
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
(15:03):
have been four considerable burglaries in the West Country, for
none of which was any criminal ever arrested. The last
of these, at Folkeston Court in May, was remarkable for
the cold blooded pistoling of the page, who surprised a
massed and solitary burglar. I cannot doubt that Stapleton recruited
(15:24):
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
(15:47):
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
(16:09):
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 man
servant at Merripeth House whose name was Anthony. His connection
(16:32):
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
(16:55):
all Spanish or Spanish American countries. The man, like Missus
Stapleton herself, spoke good English, but with a curious lisping accent.
I have myself seen this old man cross the grimp
and Mere by the path which Stapleton had marked out.
It is very probable therefore, that, in the absence of
(17:16):
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 Devonnger,
where they were soon followed by Sir Henry anew. One
word now as to how I stood myself at that time.
It may possibly recur to your memory that when I
(17:39):
examined the paper upon which the printed words were fastened,
I made a close inspection of 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
(17:59):
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 we ever went to the
(18:21):
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.
(18:42):
My hardships were not so great as you imagined, though
some trifling details must never interfere with the investigation of
a case. I stayed for the most part at Coombe Tracy,
and only used the huts 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
(19:03):
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
(19:25):
to Combe Tracy. 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
(19:47):
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 observation by the time that you discovered me
upon the moor. I had a complete knowledge of the
whole business, but I had not a case which would
(20:10):
go to a jury. Even Stapleton's attempt upon Sir Henry
that night, which ended in the death of the unfortunate convict,
did not help us much improving murder against our man.
There seemed to be no alternative but to catch him
red handed, and to do so we had to use
Sir Henry alone and apparently unprotected, as a bait. We
(20:35):
did so, and at the cost of a severe shock
to our client, we succeeded in completing our case and
driving Stapleton to his destruction. That Sir Henry should have
been exposed to this is I must confess a reproach
to my management of the case. But we had no
means of foreseeing the terrible and paralyzing spectacle which the
(20:56):
beasts presented, nor could we predict the fall which enabled
him to burst upon us at such short notice. We
succeeded in our objects at a cost which both the
specialist and Doctor Mortimer assure me will be a temporary one.
A long journey may enable our friend to recover not
only from his shattered nerves, but also from his wounded feelings.
(21:21):
His love for the lady was deep and sincere, and
to him the saddest part of all this black business
was that he should have been deceived by her. It
only remains to indicate the part which she had played Throughout.
There can be no doubt that Stapleton exercised an influence
(21:41):
over her, which may have been love, or may have
been fear, or very possibly both, since they are by
no means incompatible emotions. It was at least absolutely effective
at his command. She consented to pass as his sister,
though he found the limits of his power over her.
When he endeavored to make her the direct accessory to murder.
(22:05):
She was ready to warn Sir Henry so far as
she could without implicating her husband, and again and again
she tried to do so. Stapleton himself seems to have
been capable of jealousy, and when he saw the baronet
paying court to the lady, even though it was part
of his own plan, still he could not help interrupting
(22:26):
with a passionate outburst, which revealed the fiery soul which
his self contained manner so cleverly concealed. By encouraging the intimacy,
He made it certain that Sir Henry would frequently come
to Marriport House, and that he would sooner or later
get the opportunity which he desired. On the day of
(22:47):
the crisis, however, his wife turned suddenly against him. She
had learned something of the death of the convict, and
she knew that the hound was being kept in the outhouse,
and the evening that Sir Henry was coming to dinner,
she taxed her husband with his intended crime, and a
furious scene followed, in which he showed her for the
(23:08):
first time that she had a rival in his love.
Her fidelity turned in an instant to bitter hatred, and
he saw that she would betray him. He tied her
up therefore, that she might have no chance of warning
Sir Henry, and he hoped no doubt that when the
whole countryside put down the baronet's death to the curse
(23:29):
of his family, as they certainly would do, he could
win his wife back to accept an accomplished fact, and
to keep silent upon what she knew. In this I
fancy that in any case he made a miscalculation, and
that if we had not been there, his doom would
none the less have been sealed. A woman of Spanish
(23:52):
blood does not condone such an injury so lightly. And now,
my dear Watson, without referring to my notes, I cannot
give you a more detailed account of this curious case.
I do not know that anything essential has been left unexplained.
He could not hope to frighten Sir Henry to death
(24:14):
as he had done the old uncle with his boggy hound.
The beast was savage and half starved. If its appearance
did not frighten its victim to death, at least it
would paralyze the resistance which might be offered. No doubt,
there only remains one difficulty. If Stapleton came into the succession,
(24:35):
how could he explain the fact that he the heir,
had been living unannounced under another name, so close to
the property. How could he claim it without causing suspicion
an inquiry? It is a formidable difficulty, and I fear
that you ask too much when you expect me to
solve it. The past and the present are within the
(24:55):
field of my inquiry, but what a man may do
in the future is a hard question to answer. Missus
Stapleton has heard her husband discuss the problem on several occasions,
there were three possible courses. He might claim the property
from South America, establish his identity before the British authorities there,
(25:16):
and so obtain the fortune without ever coming to England
at all. Or he might adopt an elaborate disguise during
the short time that he need to be in London.
Or he might furnish an accomplice with the proofs and papers,
putting him in as heir and retaining a claim upon
some proportion of his income. We cannot doubt, from what
(25:37):
we know of him, that he would have found some
way out of the difficulty. And now, my dear Watson,
we have had some weeks of severe work, and for
one evening I think we may turn our thoughts into
more pleasant channels. I have a box for les Hugo.
Have you heard the Dureskis? Might I trouble you? Then?
(26:00):
To be ready in half an hour, and we can
stop at Marginie's for a little dinner. On the way
end of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle
Chapter fifteen of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. This LIBRIVANX recording is in the public domain.
Read by Bomnefeld, Chapter fifteen A retrospection. It was the
(00:20):
end of November, and Holmes and Eye sat upon a
raw and foggy night, on either side of a blazing
fire in our sitting room in Baker Street. Since the
tragic upshot of our visit to Devonshire, he had engaged
in two affairs of the utmost importance, in the first
of which she had exposed the atrocious conduct of Colonel
(00:42):
Upwood in connection with the famous card scandal of the
known Perrail Club, while in the second he had defended
the unfortunate Madame Montpacier from the charge of murder which
hung over her in connection with the death of her
step daughter, Mademoiselle Carrere, the young lady, who, as it
will be remembered, was found six months later alive and
(01:04):
married in New York. My friend was in excellent spirits
over the success which had attended a succession of difficult
and important cases, so that I was able to induce
him to discuss the details of the Baskerville mystery. I
had waited patiently for the opportunity, for I was aware
that he would never permit cases to overlap, and that
(01:26):
his clear and logical mind would not be drawn from
its present work to dwell upon memories of the past.
Sir Henry and doctor Mortimer were, however, in London on
their way to that long voyage which had been recommended
for the restoration of his shattered nerves. They had called
upon us that very afternoon, so that it was natural
(01:47):
that the subject should come up for discussion. The whole
course of events, said Holmes, from the point of view
of the man who caught himself Stapleton was simple and direct.
To us, who had no means in the beginning of
knowing the motives of his actions, and could only learn
part of the facts, it all appeared exceedingly complex. I
(02:10):
have had the advantage of two conversations with Missus Stapleton,
and the case has now been so entirely cleared up
that I am not aware that there is anything which
has remained a secret to us. You will find a
few notes upon the matter under the heading B in
my indexed list of cases. Perhaps you would kindly give
(02:31):
me a sketch of the course of events from memory. Certainly,
though I cannot guarantee that I will carry all the
facts in my mind. Intense mental concentration is a curious
way of blotting out what has passed. The barrister, who
has his case at his fingers ends and is able
to argue with an expert upon his own subject, finds
(02:53):
that a week or two of the courts will drive
it all out of his head. Once more. So, each
of my cases to this place is the last, and
Mademoiselle Carrere has blurred my recollection of Baskerville Hall. Tomorrow,
some other little problem may be submitted to my notice,
which will in turn dispossess the fair French lady and
(03:14):
the infamous upward. So far as the case of the
Hound goes, however, I will give you the course of
events as nearly as I can, and you will suggest
anything which I may have forgotten. My inquiries show beyond
all question that the family portrait did not lie, and
(03:35):
that this fellow was indeed a Baskerville. He was a
son of that Roger Baskerville, the younger brother of Sir Charles,
who fled with a sinister reputation to South America, where
he was said to have died unmarried. He did, as
a matter of fact, Mary, and had one child. This fellow,
whose real name is the same as his father's, he
(03:58):
married Beryl gard Garcia, one of the beauties of Costa Rica,
and having purloined a considerable sum of public money, he
changed his name to Vandaler and fled to England, where
he established a school in the east of Yorkshire. His
reason for attempting this special line of business was that
he had struck up an acquaintance with a consumptive tutor
(04:20):
upon the voyage home, and that he had used this
man's ability to make the undertaking a success. Fraser the
tutor died, however, and the school, which had begun well
sank from disrepute into infamy. The Vandalers made it convenient
to change their name to Stapleton, and he brought the
(04:42):
remains of his fortune, his schemes for the future, and
his taste for entomology to the South of England. I
learned the British Museum that he was of recognized authority
upon the subject, and that the name of Vandaler has
been permanently attached to a certain moth, which he had,
in his Yorkshire days, been the first to describe. We
(05:05):
now come to that portion of his life which was
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,
(05:26):
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 have not 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
(05:48):
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 cautvade of friendship with Sir Charles Baskerville and with
the neighbors. The baronet himself told him about the family hound,
and so prepared the way for his own death. Stapleton,
(06:13):
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 doctor Mornimer.
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
(06:36):
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
(06:56):
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
(07:17):
home without exciting any remarks. He had already on his
insect hunts learned to penetrate the grimp and mire, and
so he found a safe hiding place for the creature.
Here he kenneled it and waited his chance, But it
was some time in coming. The old gentleman could not
(07:38):
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
(07:59):
his wife might lure Sir Charles to his ruin, but
here she proved unexpectedly independent. She would not endeavor to
entangle the old gentleman in a sentimental attachment which might
deliver him over to his enemy threats, and even I'm
sorry to say blows refused to move her. She would
(08:20):
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,
Missus Laura Lyons. By representing himself as a single man,
(08:42):
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 Doctor Mortimer, with whose opinion he himself pretended
to coincide he must act at once, for his victim
(09:06):
might get beyond his power. He therefore put pressure upon
Missus 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 Combe Tracy,
(09:31):
he was in time to get his hound, to treat
it with his infernal paint, and to bring the beasts
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 gates and
pursued the unfortunate baronet, who fled screaming down the yew alley.
(09:53):
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
(10:13):
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 doctor Mortimer. The hound was called off
(10:36):
and hurried away to its lair in the grimp and mire,
and a mystery was left which puzzled the authorities, alarmed
the countryside, and finally brought the case within the scope
of our observation. So much for the death of Sir
Charles Baskerville, you perceived the devilish cunning of it, For really,
(10:57):
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, Missus Stapleton and
Missus Laura Lyons, were left with a strong suspicion against Stapleton.
(11:20):
Missus Stapleton knew that he had designs upon the old Man,
and also of the existence of the hound. Missus Lyons
knew neither of these things, but had been impressed by
the death occurring at the time of the uncanceled appointments,
which was only known to him. However, both of them
were under his influence, and he had nothing to fear
(11:43):
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. You
soon learn it from his friend doctor Mortimer, and he
was told by the latter all details about the arrival
(12:06):
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
(12:29):
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 doctor Mortimer to Baker Street, and afterwards
(12:52):
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 brusal
ill treatments, that she dared 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
(13:13):
not be safe. Eventually, as we know, she adopted the
experient of cutting out the words which would form the message,
and addressing the letter in a disguised hand. It reached
the Baronets and gave him the first warning of his danger.
It is very essential for Stapleton to get some article
(13:35):
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 chambermaid of the hotel
was well bribed to help him in his design. By chance, however,
(13:57):
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
(14:19):
indifference to a new one. The more otre and grotesque
and incident is, the more carefully it deserved 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
(14:40):
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
(15:03):
have been four considerable burglaries in the West Country, for
none of which was any criminal ever arrested. The last
of these, at Folkeston Court in May, was remarkable for
the cold blooded pistoling of the page, who surprised a
massed and solitary burglar. I cannot doubt that Stapleton recruited
(15:24):
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
(15:47):
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
(16:09):
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 man
servant at Merripeth House whose name was Anthony. His connection
(16:32):
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
(16:55):
all Spanish or Spanish American countries. The man, like Missus
Stapleton herself, spoke good English, but with a curious lisping accent.
I have myself seen this old man cross the grimp
and Mere by the path which Stapleton had marked out.
It is very probable therefore, that, in the absence of
(17:16):
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 Devonnger,
where they were soon followed by Sir Henry anew. One
word now as to how I stood myself at that time.
It may possibly recur to your memory that when I
(17:39):
examined the paper upon which the printed words were fastened,
I made a close inspection of 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
(17:59):
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 we ever went to the
(18:21):
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.
(18:42):
My hardships were not so great as you imagined, though
some trifling details must never interfere with the investigation of
a case. I stayed for the most part at Coombe Tracy,
and only used the huts 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
(19:03):
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
(19:25):
to Combe Tracy. 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
(19:47):
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 observation by the time that you discovered me
upon the moor. I had a complete knowledge of the
whole business, but I had not a case which would
(20:10):
go to a jury. Even Stapleton's attempt upon Sir Henry
that night, which ended in the death of the unfortunate convict,
did not help us much improving murder against our man.
There seemed to be no alternative but to catch him
red handed, and to do so we had to use
Sir Henry alone and apparently unprotected, as a bait. We
(20:35):
did so, and at the cost of a severe shock
to our client, we succeeded in completing our case and
driving Stapleton to his destruction. That Sir Henry should have
been exposed to this is I must confess a reproach
to my management of the case. But we had no
means of foreseeing the terrible and paralyzing spectacle which the
(20:56):
beasts presented, nor could we predict the fall which enabled
him to burst upon us at such short notice. We
succeeded in our objects at a cost which both the
specialist and Doctor Mortimer assure me will be a temporary one.
A long journey may enable our friend to recover not
only from his shattered nerves, but also from his wounded feelings.
(21:21):
His love for the lady was deep and sincere, and
to him the saddest part of all this black business
was that he should have been deceived by her. It
only remains to indicate the part which she had played Throughout.
There can be no doubt that Stapleton exercised an influence
(21:41):
over her, which may have been love, or may have
been fear, or very possibly both, since they are by
no means incompatible emotions. It was at least absolutely effective
at his command. She consented to pass as his sister,
though he found the limits of his power over her.
When he endeavored to make her the direct accessory to murder.
(22:05):
She was ready to warn Sir Henry so far as
she could without implicating her husband, and again and again
she tried to do so. Stapleton himself seems to have
been capable of jealousy, and when he saw the baronet
paying court to the lady, even though it was part
of his own plan, still he could not help interrupting
(22:26):
with a passionate outburst, which revealed the fiery soul which
his self contained manner so cleverly concealed. By encouraging the intimacy,
He made it certain that Sir Henry would frequently come
to Marriport House, and that he would sooner or later
get the opportunity which he desired. On the day of
(22:47):
the crisis, however, his wife turned suddenly against him. She
had learned something of the death of the convict, and
she knew that the hound was being kept in the outhouse,
and the evening that Sir Henry was coming to dinner,
she taxed her husband with his intended crime, and a
furious scene followed, in which he showed her for the
(23:08):
first time that she had a rival in his love.
Her fidelity turned in an instant to bitter hatred, and
he saw that she would betray him. He tied her
up therefore, that she might have no chance of warning
Sir Henry, and he hoped no doubt that when the
whole countryside put down the baronet's death to the curse
(23:29):
of his family, as they certainly would do, he could
win his wife back to accept an accomplished fact, and
to keep silent upon what she knew. In this I
fancy that in any case he made a miscalculation, and
that if we had not been there, his doom would
none the less have been sealed. A woman of Spanish
(23:52):
blood does not condone such an injury so lightly. And now,
my dear Watson, without referring to my notes, I cannot
give you a more detailed account of this curious case.
I do not know that anything essential has been left unexplained.
He could not hope to frighten Sir Henry to death
(24:14):
as he had done the old uncle with his boggy hound.
The beast was savage and half starved. If its appearance
did not frighten its victim to death, at least it
would paralyze the resistance which might be offered. No doubt,
there only remains one difficulty. If Stapleton came into the succession,
(24:35):
how could he explain the fact that he the heir,
had been living unannounced under another name, so close to
the property. How could he claim it without causing suspicion
an inquiry? It is a formidable difficulty, and I fear
that you ask too much when you expect me to
solve it. The past and the present are within the
(24:55):
field of my inquiry, but what a man may do
in the future is a hard question to answer. Missus
Stapleton has heard her husband discuss the problem on several occasions,
there were three possible courses. He might claim the property
from South America, establish his identity before the British authorities there,
(25:16):
and so obtain the fortune without ever coming to England
at all. Or he might adopt an elaborate disguise during
the short time that he need to be in London.
Or he might furnish an accomplice with the proofs and papers,
putting him in as heir and retaining a claim upon
some proportion of his income. We cannot doubt, from what
(25:37):
we know of him, that he would have found some
way out of the difficulty. And now, my dear Watson,
we have had some weeks of severe work, and for
one evening I think we may turn our thoughts into
more pleasant channels. I have a box for les Hugo.
Have you heard the Dureskis? Might I trouble you? Then?
(26:00):
To be ready in half an hour, and we can
stop at Marginie's for a little dinner. On the way
end of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle
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