thisfingers’endsandisabletoarguewithanexpertuponhisownsubjectfindsthataweekortwoofthecourtswilldriveitalloutofhisheadoncemore.Soeachofmycasesdisplacesthelast,andMlle.CarérehasblurredmyrecollectionofBaskervilleHall.TomorrowsomeotherlittleproblemmaybesubmittedtomynoticewhichwillinturndispossessthefairFrenchladyandtheinfamousUpwood.Sofarasthecaseofthehoundgoes,however,IwillgiveyouthecourseofeventsasnearlyasIcan,andyouwillsuggestanythingwhichImayhaveforgotten.
“Myinquiriesshowbeyondallquestionthatthefamilyportraitdidnotlie,andthatthisfellowwasindeedaBaskerville.HewasasonofthatRodgerBaskerville,theyoungerbrotherofSirCharles,whofledwithasinisterreputationtoSouthAmerica,wherehewassaidtohavediedunmarried.Hedid,asamatteroffact,marry,andhadonechild,thisfellow,whoserealnameisthesameashisfather’s.HemarriedBerylGarcia,oneofthebeautiesofCostaRica,and,havingpurloinedaconsiderablesumofpublicmoney,hechangedhisnametoVandeleurandfledtoEngland,whereheestablishedaschoolintheeastofYorkshire.Hisreasonforattemptingthisspeciallineofbusinesswasthathehadstruckupanacquaintancewithaconsumptivetutoruponthevoyagehome,andthathehadusedthisman’sabilitytomaketheundertakingasuccess.Fraser,thetutor,diedhowever,andtheschoolwhichhadbegunwellsankfromdisreputeintoinfamy.TheVandeleursfounditconvenienttochangetheirnametoStapleton,andhebroughttheremainsofhisfortune,hisschemesforthefuture,andhistasteforentomologytothesouthofEngland.IlearnedattheBritishMuseumthathewasarecognizedauthorityuponthesubject,andthatthenameofVandeleurhasbeenpermanentlyattachedtoacertainmothwhichhehad,inhisYorkshiredays,beenthefirsttodescribe.
“Wenowcometothatportionofhislifewhichhasprovedtobeofsuchintenseinteresttous.Thefellowhadevidentlymadeinquiryandfoundthatonlytwolivesintervenedbetweenhimandavaluableestate.WhenhewenttoDevonshirehisplanswere,Ibelieve,exceedinglyhazy,