“Ihaveinmypocketamanuscript,”saidDr.JamesMortimer.
“Iobserveditasyouenteredtheroom,”saidHolmes.
“Itisanoldmanuscript.”
“Earlyeighteenthcentury,unlessitisaforgery.”
“Howcanyousaythat,sir?”
“Youhavepresentedaninchortwoofittomyexaminationallthetimethatyouhavebeentalking.Itwouldbeapoorexpertwhocouldnotgivethedateofadocumentwithinadecadeorso.Youmaypossiblyhavereadmylittlemonographuponthesubject.Iputthatat1730.”
“Theexactdateis1742.”Dr.Mortimerdrewitfromhisbreast-pocket.“ThisfamilypaperwascommittedtomycarebySirCharlesBaskerville,whosesuddenandtragicdeathsomethreemonthsagocreatedsomuchexcitementinDevonshire.ImaysaythatIwashispersonalfriendaswellashismedicalattendant.Hewasastrong-mindedman,sir,shrewd,practical,andasunimaginativeasIammyself.Yethetookthisdocumentveryseriously,andhismindwaspreparedforjustsuchanendasdideventuallyovertakehim.”
Holmesstretchedouthishandforthemanuscriptandflattenedituponhisknee.“Youwillobserve,Watson,thealternativeuseofthelongsandtheshort.Itisoneofseveralindicationswhichenabledmetofixthedate.”
Ilookedoverhisshoulderattheyellowpaperandthefadedscript.Attheheadwaswritten:“BaskervilleHall,”andbelowinlarge,scrawlingfigures:“1742.”
“Itappearstobeastatementofsomesort.”
“Yes,itisastatementofacertainlegendwhichrunsintheBaskervillefamily.”
“ButIunderstandthatitissomethingmoremodernandpracticaluponwhichyouwishtoconsultme?”
“Mostmodern.Amostpractical,pressingmatter,whichmustbedecidedwithintwenty-fourhours.Butthemanuscriptisshortandisintimatelyconnectedwiththeaffair.WithyourpermissionIwillreadittoyou.”
Holmesleanedbackinhischair,placedhisfinger-tipstogether,andclosedhiseyes,withanairofresignation.Dr.Mortimerturnedthemanuscripttothelightandreadinahigh,crackingvoicethefollowingcurious,old-worldnarrative:
“OftheoriginoftheHoundoftheBaskervillestherehavebeenmanystatements,yetasIcomeinadirectlinefromHugoBaskerville,andasIhadthestoryfrommyfather,whoalsohaditfromhis,Ih