Собака Баскервиллей
The Man on the Tor
"Ihaveheardsomuch."
"MylifehasbeenoneincessantpersecutionfromahusbandwhomIabhor. Thelawisuponhisside,andeverydayIamfacedbythepossibilitythathemayforcemetolivewithhim. AtthetimethatIwrotethislettertoSirCharlesIhadlearnedthattherewasaprospectofmyregainingmyfreedomifcertainexpensescouldbemet. Itmeanteverythingtome—peaceofmind,happiness,self-respect—everything. IknewSirCharles’sgenerosity,andIthoughtthatifheheardthestoryfrommyownlipshewouldhelpme."
"Thenhowisitthatyoudidnotgo?"
"BecauseIreceivedhelpintheintervalfromanothersource."
"Whythen,didyounotwritetoSirCharlesandexplainthis?"
"SoIshouldhavedonehadInotseenhisdeathinthepapernextmorning."
Thewoman’sstoryhungcoherentlytogether,andallmyquestionswereunabletoshakeit. Icouldonlycheckitbyfindingifshehad,indeed,instituteddivorceproceedingsagainstherhusbandatoraboutthetimeofthetragedy.
ItwasunlikelythatshewoulddaretosaythatshehadnotbeentoBaskervilleHallifshereallyhadbeen,foratrapwouldbenecessarytotakeherthere,andcouldnothavereturnedtoCoombeTraceyuntiltheearlyhoursofthemorning. Suchanexcursioncouldnotbekeptsecret. Theprobabilitywas,therefore,thatshewastellingthetruth,or,atleast,apartofthetruth. Icameawaybaffledanddisheartened. OnceagainIhadreachedthatdeadwallwhichseemedtobebuiltacrosseverypathbywhichItriedtogetattheobjectofmymission.
