Собака Баскервіллів
A Retrospection
TheVandeleursfounditconvenienttochangetheirnametoStapleton, andhebroughttheremainsofhisfortune,hisschemesforthefuture,andhistasteforentomologytothesouthofEngland. IlearnedattheBritishMuseumthathewasarecognizedauthorityuponthesubject,andthatthenameofVandeleurhasbeenpermanentlyattachedtoacertainmothwhichhehad,inhisYorkshiredays,beenthefirsttodescribe.
"Wenowcometothatportionofhislifewhichhasprovedtobeofsuchintenseinteresttous. Thefellowhadevidentlymadeinquiryandfoundthatonlytwolivesintervenedbetweenhimandavaluableestate. WhenhewenttoDevonshirehisplanswere,Ibelieve,exceedinglyhazy,butthathemeantmischieffromthefirstisevidentfromthewayinwhichhetookhiswifewithhiminthecharacterofhissister. Theideaofusingherasadecoywasclearlyalreadyinhismind,thoughhemaynothavebeencertainhowthedetailsofhisplotweretobearranged. Hemeantintheendtohavetheestate,andhewasreadytouseanytoolorrunanyriskforthatend. Hisfirstactwastoestablishhimselfasneartohisancestralhomeashecould,andhissecondwastocultivateafriendshipwithSirCharlesBaskervilleandwiththeneighbours.
"Thebaronethimselftoldhimaboutthefamilyhound,andsopreparedthewayforhisowndeath. Stapleton,asIwillcontinuetocallhim,knewthattheoldman’sheartwasweakandthatashockwouldkillhim. SomuchhehadlearnedfromDr.Mortimer. HehadheardalsothatSirCharleswassuperstitiousandhadtakenthisgrimlegendveryseriously. Hisingeniousmindinstantlysuggestedawaybywhichthebaronetcouldbedonetodeath,andyetitwouldbehardlypossibletobringhometheguilttotherealmurderer.
