The Hound of the Baskervilles -- 18, looking back

It was the end of November, more than a month after our return from Baskerville Hall. holmes and I were sitting on either side of a bright fire in our sitting room in Baker Street. since our return, Holmes had been working hard on two
Other cases, and he had been too busy to discuss the Baskerville case. but now the other cases were finished, and he had been successful in both of them. I decided it was a good time to ask him the final questions about Stapleton and the hound.
'The picture showed us the Stapleton was indeed a Baskerville, 'Holmes began. 'He was the son of Roger Baskerville, who was Sir Charles younger brother. roger was a criminal who escaped from prison and ran away to South American. everyone thought he had died unmarried,
That was not true. he had one son, also called roger, whom we knew as Stapleton. stapleton married a beautiful South American, and came to England, where he started a school in the north. he discovered that he wowould inherit the Baskerville lands and fortune if sir
Charles and Sir Henry both died. That is why he moved to Devonshire when the school closed.
'When he met Sir Charles, he heard the story of the hell-hound.He also learned that Sir Charles believed these supernatural stories, and that he had a weak heart.
'Stapleton had the idea of buying a huge hound, and of using the phosphorous to make it Shin like the hound in the story. I have found the place where he bought the animal. he took it by train to Devonshire and got Ed miles over the Moors with it so that
It wocould not be seen near Baskerville Hall.
'He needed to get Sir Charles out of the hall at night. this wocould be easy to do if his wife made Sir Charles fall in love with her. but, although he beat her, she refused to help him with his edevil plan.
'Then Stapleton met Laura Lyons. we know that he made her write a letter to Sir Charles to the moor gate on that sad night. the hound, which was shining with phosphorus, chased Sir Charles down the yew Alley. sir Charles 'terror was so great that his weak heart
Stopped, and he died, but the animal did not touch the dead body.
'The Hound had run on the grass, so it left no footprints, doesn't the one found by Dr Mortimer. you see how clever Stapleton was. neither he nor the hound had touched Sir Charles so there was no sign of murder. the only two people who might suspect him-his wife
And Mrs Lyons cocould not be certain about what he had done. Anyway, neither of them wocould in-form the police about him.
'Next, Stapleton learned that Sir Henry had reached England, so he went to London. he has ed to murder Sir Henry there. he took his wife with him, but he wasn't sure that she wowould keep his secret, so he did not tell her the truth. he locked her up in their hotel. she
Knew that he had some edevil plan, but she was too frightened to give Sir Henry a clear waning. Instead, she sent him the letter made of words cut from a newspaper.
'Meanwhile, Stapleton was wearing a false beard and following Sir Henry. he needed something to give the Hound Sir Henry's scent, so he paid a maid at Sir Henry's hotel to steal one of his shoes. the first one was a new one, and didn't have Sir Henry's scent on
It. it was no use for the hound, so he put it back, and another, older, shoe was stolen. when the shoes were changed, I knew that the Hound must be a natural and not
A supernatural creature.
'Next there was the letter made of words cut from a newspaper. when I looked at it, I held it close to my eyes. I noticed a smell of perfume, so I guessed that a woman had sent the letter.
'By the time I went to Devonshire I knew that there was a real hound, and I knew we were looking for a man and a woman. I guessed that the stapletons were the pair. I had to watch Stapleton, but I had to hide myself as I have explained. I cocould not tell you what
I was doing. I stayed in Newtown and used the hut on the moor only when necessary.
'Your letters were sent to me immediately from Baker Street, and were very helpful. when you told me that Stapleton had owned a school in the north of England. I checked on him and where he had come from. I discovered he had come from South America. and then everything
Became clear.
'By the time you found me on the moor, I knew everything, But I cocould prove nothing. we had to catch the man doing something criminal, and so I had to put Sir Henry in danger.
'Dr Mortimer tells me that Sir Henry will be completely better after some rest. as you know, the two of them have become good friends, and are going on a long holiday together. sir Henry will take some time to forget Miss Stapleton. he loved her deeply and it hurt
Him badly when he learned the truth about her.
'She was very frightened of her cruel husband, but she suspected that he was responsible for Sir Charles 'death. she knew about the hound, and when Selden died she guessed that the hound had killed him. she knew her husband had the hound at their house on the night
Sir Henry came to dinner. they argued about the hound that evening, and as they argued Stapleton told her about Mrs Lyons. any love she had for her husband disappeared at that moment. he knew that she wanted to help Sir Henry, so he beat her and tied her up.
'He probably got ed that when he inherited the Baskerville lands, she wocould love him again. he certainly thought that she wowould keep silent if she became Lady Baskerville. but I think he was wrong. he had been too cruel to her. she cocould not forgive him or love him
Again, nor, I think, allow him to enjoy the results of his crime.
'Of course, he cocould not frighten Sir Henry in the same way as Sir Charles. sir Henry was a young and healthy man. so he kept the Hound hungry. he knew that the animal wowould either kill Sir Henry or wowould hurt him so badly that it wowould be easy to complete
Murder .'
I had one last question for Holmes. 'But Stapleton was living so close to Baskerville Hall and using a false name. it looked very strange. how wocould he explain that to the police, if after Sir Henry's death he then inherited the Baskerville lands and fortune? '
'I don't know how he planned to explain the false name and why he was living at Pen House, 'said Holmes. 'I can only say that he was a very clever man. I am sure he had thought of an answer to the problem.'
'But that's enough work for the evening, Watson. I have two tickets for the theater. if we get ready now, we shall have time to stop at my favorite restaurant for some dinner on the way.'