theycame.NosignsofviolenceweretobediscovereduponSirCharles’sperson,andthoughthedoctor’sevidencepointedtoanalmostincrediblefacialdistortion—sogreatthatDr.Mortimerrefusedatfirsttobelievethatitwasindeedhisfriendandpatientwholaybeforehim—itwasexplainedthatthatisasymptomwhichisnotunusualincasesofdyspn?aanddeathfromcardiacexhaustion.Thisexplanationwasborneoutbythepost-mortemexamination,whichshowedlong-standingorganicdisease,andthecoroner’sjuryreturnedaverdictinaccordancewiththemedicalevidence.Itiswellthatthisisso,foritisobviouslyoftheutmostimportancethatSirCharles’sheirshouldsettleattheHallandcontinuethegoodworkwhichhasbeensosadlyinterrupted.Hadtheprosaicfindingofthecoronernotfinallyputanendtotheromanticstorieswhichhavebeenwhisperedinconnectionwiththeaffair,itmighthavebeendifficulttofindatenantforBaskervilleHall.ItisunderstoodthatthenextofkinisMr.HenryBaskerville,ifhebestillalive,thesonofSirCharlesBaskerville’syoungerbrother.TheyoungmanwhenlastheardofwasinAmerica,andinquiriesarebeinginstitutedwithaviewtoinforminghimofhisgoodfortune.”
Dr.Mortimerrefoldedhispaperandreplaceditinhispocket.“Thosearethepublicfacts,Mr.Holmes,inconnectionwiththedeathofSirCharlesBaskerville.”
“Imustthankyou,”saidSherlockHolmes,“forcallingmyattentiontoacasewhichcertainlypresentssomefeaturesofinterest.Ihadobservedsomenewspapercommentatthetime,butIwasexceedinglypreoccupiedbythatlittleaffairoftheVaticancameos,andinmyanxietytoobligethePopeIlosttouchwithseveralinterestingEnglishcases.Thisarticle,yousay,containsallthepublicfacts?”
“Itdoes.”
“Thenletmehavetheprivateones.”Heleanedback,puthisfinger-tipstogether,andassumedhismostimpassiveandjudicialexpression.
“Indoingso,”saidDr.Mortimer,whohadbeguntoshowsignsofsomestrongemotion,“IamtellingthatwhichIhavenotconfidedtoanyone.Mymotiveforwithholdingitfromthecoroner’sinquiryisthatamanofscienceshrinksfromplacinghimselfinthepublicpositionofseemingtoindorseapopularsuperstition.Ihadthefurthermotivethat