Chapter 20

A Month Later

It was the end of November, and Holmes and I sat on a foggy night near the fire in our sitting-room in Baker Street. Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer were in London, on their way to the round-the-world voyage. They had called on us that very afternoon, so it was natural for us to discuss the case.

“My inquiries show that the family portrait did not lie, and that this fellow was a Baskerville. He was the son of Rodger Baskerville, the younger brother of Sir Charles, who escaped with a bad reputation to South America, where he was said to have died unmarried. As a matter of fact, he married and had a son, this fellow, whose real name is Roger as his father’s. He married Beryl Garcia, one of the beauties of Costa Rica, and, having stolen public money, he changed his name to Vandeleur and arrived in England, where he established a school in Yorkshire. The school, which had begun well, soon lost its reputation. The Vandeleurs changed their name to Stapleton, and moved to the south of England.

“The fellow had evidently made inquiries and found that only two lives stood between him and a good deal of money. When he went to Devonshire his plans were, I believe, vague, but that he planned a crime from the first is evident, because he told everybody that his wife was his sister. The idea of using her as a tool was already in his mind. He first got a home for himself as near his family house as he could, and then made friends with Sir Charles Baskerville and the neighbours.

“The baronet himself told him about the family legend, and so prepared 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. He had learned it from Dr. Mortimer. He had heard also that Sir Charles was superstitious and had taken this legend very seriously. Very soon he knew how to use it.

He bought a dog in London, and brought it down by train and walked a great distance over the moor so as to get it home without anybody seeing it. He had examined the Grimpen Mire, and so had found a safe hiding-place for the dog.

“But the old gentleman would not walk on the moor at night. Several times Stapleton walked about with his hound, but without any result. It was during these walks that the dog was seen by farmers. He hoped that his wife might have a love affair with Sir Charles and would help him in his plans. But she refused.

“He found a way out with the help of Mrs. Laura Lyons. He had great influence over her, and he gave her to understand that if she had a divorce from her husband he would marry her. When he heard that Sir Charles wanted to leave the Hall on the advice of Dr. Mortimer, he made Mrs. Lyons write a letter, asking the old man to meet her. He then prevented her from going, and so had the chance for which he had waited.

“He put luminous paint on the dog, and brought it to the gate, where the old gentleman was waiting. The dog sprang over the gate and ran after Sir Charles. He fell dead at the end of the alley from heart disease and terror. The hound probably approached to sniff at him, but finding him dead turned away. It was then that it left the print which was observed by Dr. Mortimer. Stapleton called off the dog and hid it in the Grimpen Mire. So much for the death of Sir Charles Baskerville.

“It is possible that Stapleton did not know of an heir in Canada. But he soon learned about it from his friend Dr. Mortimer, and he was told all details about the arrival of Henry Baskerville. Stapleton’s first idea was that the heir from Canada could be killed in London before he came to Devonshire. He did not trust his wife since she had refused to help him with the old man, and he did not wish to leave her long alone, so he took her to London with him. They stayed at a hotel, where he locked his wife in her room while he, with a false beard, followed Dr. Mortimer to Baker Street and then to the station and to the Northumberland Hotel. His wife knew of his plans; but she had such a fear of her husband that she was afraid to write to the man whom she knew to be in danger. So she made a letter where her handwriting could not be recognized. It reached the baronet, and gave him the first warning of danger.

“It was very important for Stapleton to get a thing worn by Sir Henry to set the dog on his track. He must have bribed a servant at the hotel. However, the first boot stolen for him was a new one and, therefore, useless for the dog. He returned it and another was stolen.

“Stapleton then returned to Devonshire and waited for the arrival of the baronet.

“It was my task to watch the scene of the coming crime, since the criminal would be on his guard. I came down secretly when everyone thought I was in London.

“I have already told you that your reports reached me rapidly. They were very useful to me.

“By the time that you discovered me on the moor, I knew everything, but I had no evidence. Even Stapleton’s attempt to kill Sir Henry that night which ended in the death of the convict did not help us much. There was no alternative but to catch him redhanded, and we had to use Sir Henry to do so. We did it, and completed our case.

“A long journey may help Sir Henry to recover not only from his nervous breakdown but also from his hurt feelings. His love for the lady was deep and sincere, and to him the saddest part of all this business was that she deceived him.

“It only remains to show the part which she played in the drama. There can be no doubt that Stapleton had an influence over her. She might have loved or feared him, or possibly both. But there were limits of his power over her, she did not want to help him in murder.”

“He could not hope to frighten Sir Henry to death as he had done with his old uncle.”

“The beast was wild and hungry. If it did not frighten Sir Henry to death, it could paralyze him during the attack.”

“There is one thing I don’t quite understand. If Stapleton got the money, how could he explain the fact that he, the heir, had been living under another name near Baskerville Hall?”

“It is an awful difficulty, and I fear I cannot solve it. Mrs. Stapleton has heard her husband discuss the problem on several occasions. There were three possible courses. He might claim the property from South America as Roger Baskerville, establish his identity before the British authorities there and get money without coming to England, or he might change his appearance; or he might ask somebody to claim the money in his name. He would have found some way out of the difficulty, no doubt.

“And now, my dear Watson, we have had some weeks of hard work, and now we might have a good time at the opera.”

Англо-русский словарь

A

accompany — v сопровождать; провожать"

account — n отчет; v ~ for объяснять

act — v действовать, поступать, вести себя; n поступок, действие

action — n действие, деятельность

alarm — v взволновать, встревожить

amazement — n удивление

ancient — adj древний, старинный

apparition — n привидение, призрак

appearance — n внешность, внешний вид; появление

approach — v приближаться

arise — v (arose, arisen) возникать, появляться, зарождаться

armed – a вооруженный

arms — n герб (обыкн. coat of ~)

arouse — v пробуждать, вызывать; возбуждать

arrangement — n подготовка

as – adv, cj как; когда; так как, в то время как; в качестве

as if как будто

ash — n пепел

associate — v связывать; ассоциировать(ся)

attack — n приступ (болезни); v нападать

avoid — v избегать

awkward — adj неловкий, затруднительный

B

bachelor — n холостяк

balance — n равновесие

band — n лента; обод

bark — v лаять

barking — n лай

barren — adj бесплодный, неплодородный

battle — n битва, сражение

beak — n клюв

beard — n борода

beast — n зверь

beauty — n красота; красавица

beg — v просить, умолять

believe — v верить; считать, полагать

bend — v (bent) сгибать(ся), наклонять(ся)

beyond – prp за; вне, сверх

bite — v (bit, bitten) кусать(ся)

bitterness — n горечь

blanket — n шерстяное одеяло

blazing — adj горящий, пылающий

bloody — adj кровавый

bone — n кость

boulder — n валун

bowed — adj сутулый, согнутый

brave — adj храбрый, смелый

bright — adv ярко

bucket — n ведро

bundle — n узел

burst — v (burst) разрываться, взрываться, вырываться

busybody — n человек, вмешивающийся в чужие дела

butler — n дворецкий