Собака Баскервиллей
First Report of Dr. Watson
Ifhewouldconfinehisenergiestothisallwouldbewell,buttherearerumoursthatheintendstoprosecuteDr.Mortimer foropeningagravewithouttheconsentofthenext-of-kin,becauseheduguptheNeolithicskullinthebarrowonLongDown. Hehelpstokeepourlivesfrombeingmonotonousandgivesalittlecomicreliefwhereitisbadlyneeded.
Andnow,havingbroughtyouuptodateintheescapedconvict,theStapletons,Dr.Mortimer,andFrankland,ofLafterHall, letmeendonthatwhichismostimportantandtellyoumoreabouttheBarrymores,andespeciallyaboutthesurprisingdevelopmentoflastnight.
Firstofallaboutthetesttelegram,whichyousentfromLondoninordertomakesurethatBarrymorewasreallyhere. Ihavealreadyexplainedthatthetestimonyofthepostmastershowsthatthetestwasworthlessandthatwehavenoproofonewayortheother. ItoldSirHenryhowthematterstood,andheatonce,inhisdownrightfashion,hadBarrymoreupandaskedhimwhetherhehadreceivedthetelegramhimself. Barrymoresaidthathehad.
"Didtheboydeliveritintoyourownhands? "askedSirHenry.
Barrymorelookedsurprised,andconsideredforalittletime.
"No,"saidhe,"Iwasinthebox-roomatthetime,andmywifebroughtituptome."
"Didyouanswerityourself?"
"No;Itoldmywifewhattoanswerandshewentdowntowriteit."
Intheeveningherecurredtothesubjectofhisownaccord.
"Icouldnotquiteunderstandtheobjectofyourquestionsthismorning,SirHenry,"saidhe. "ItrustthattheydonotmeanthatIhavedoneanythingtoforfeityourconfidence?"
