Собака Баскервіллів
The Stapletons of Merripit House
"ItalkedasifDr.Watsonwerearesidentinsteadofbeingmerelyavisitor,"saidshe. "Itcannotmuchmattertohimwhetheritisearlyorlatefortheorchids. Butyouwillcomeon,willyounot,andseeMerripitHouse?"
Ashortwalkbroughtustoit,ableakmoorlandhouse,oncethefarmofsomegrazierintheoldprosperousdays,butnowputintorepairandturnedintoamoderndwelling. Anorchardsurroundedit,butthetrees,asisusualuponthemoor,werestuntedandnipped,andtheeffectofthewholeplacewasmeanandmelancholy. Wewereadmittedbyastrange,wizened,rusty-coatedoldmanservant,whoseemedinkeepingwiththehouse. Inside,however,therewerelargeroomsfurnishedwithaneleganceinwhichIseemedtorecognizethetasteofthelady. AsIlookedfromtheirwindowsattheinterminablegranite-fleckedmoorrollingunbrokentothefarthesthorizonIcouldnotbutmarvelat whatcouldhavebroughtthishighlyeducatedmanandthisbeautifulwomantoliveinsuchaplace.
"Queerspottochoose,isitnot? "saidheasifinanswertomythought. "Andyetwemanagetomakeourselvesfairlyhappy,dowenot,Beryl?"
"Quitehappy,"saidshe,buttherewasnoringofconvictioninherwords.
"Ihadaschool,"saidStapleton."Itwasinthenorthcountry. Theworktoamanofmytemperamentwasmechanicalanduninteresting,buttheprivilegeoflivingwithyouth,ofhelpingtomouldthoseyoungminds, andofimpressingthemwithone’sowncharacterandideals,wasverydeartome. However,thefateswereagainstus. Aseriousepidemicbrokeoutintheschoolandthreeoftheboysdied. Itneverrecoveredfromtheblow,andmuchofmycapitalwasirretrievablyswallowedup.
