Собака Баскервіллів
The Curse of the Baskervilles
TheevidenceoftheBarrymoresshowsthatthishadbeenhiscustom. Onthe4thofMaySirCharleshaddeclaredhisintentionofstartingnextdayforLondon,andhadorderedBarrymoretopreparehisluggage. Thatnighthewentoutasusualforhisnocturnalwalk,inthecourseofwhichhewasinthehabitofsmokingacigar. Heneverreturned. Attwelveo’clockBarrymore,findingthehalldoorstillopen,becamealarmed,and,lightingalantern,wentinsearchofhismaster. Thedayhadbeenwet,andSirCharles’sfootmarkswereeasilytraceddowntheAlley. Half-waydownthiswalkthereisagatewhichleadsoutontothemoor. TherewereindicationsthatSirCharleshadstoodforsomelittletimehere. HethenproceededdowntheAlley,anditwasatthefarendofitthathisbodywasdiscovered. OnefactwhichhasnotbeenexplainedisthestatementofBarrymorethathismaster’sfootprintsalteredtheircharacterfromthetimethathepassedthemoor-gate,andthatheappearedfromthenceonwardtohavebeenwalkinguponhistoes. OneMurphy,agipsyhorse-dealer,wasonthemooratnogreatdistanceatthetime,butheappearsbyhisownconfessiontohavebeentheworsefordrink.Hedeclaresthatheheardcries,butisunabletostatefromwhatdirectiontheycame. NosignsofviolenceweretobediscovereduponSirCharles’sperson, andthoughthedoctor’sevidencepointedtoanalmostincrediblefacialdistortion—sogreatthatDr.Mortimerrefusedatfirsttobelievethatitwasindeedhisfriendandpatientwholaybeforehim— itwasexplainedthatthatisasymptomwhichisnotunusualincasesofdyspnoeaanddeathfromcardiacexhaustion. Thisexplanationwasborneoutbythepost-mortemexamination,whichshowedlong-standingorganicdisease,andthecoroner’sjuryreturnedaverdictinaccordancewiththemedicalevidence.
