“Thewholecourseofevents,”saidHolmes,“fromthepointofviewofthemanwhocalledhimselfStapletonwassimpleanddirect,althoughtous,whohadnomeansinthebeginningofknowingthemotivesofhisactionsandcouldonlylearnpartofthefacts,itallappearedexceedinglycomplex.IhavehadtheadvantageoftwoconversationswithMrs.Stapleton,andthecasehasnowbeensoentirelyclearedupthatIamnotawarethatthereisanythingwhichhasremainedasecrettous.YouwillfindafewnotesuponthematterundertheheadingBinmyindexedlistofcases.” “Perhapsyouwouldkindlygivemeasketchofthecourseofeventsfrommemory.” “Certainly,thoughIcannotguaranteethatIcarryallthefactsinmymind.Intensementalconcentrationhasacuriouswayofblottingoutwhathaspassed.Thebarristerwhohashiscaseathisfingers’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,butthathemeantmischieffromthefirstisevidentfromthewayinwhichhetookhiswifewithhiminthecharacterofhissister.Theideaofusingherasadecoywasclearlyalreadyinhismind,thoughhemaynothavebeencertainhowthedetailsofhisplotweretobearranged.Hemeantintheendtohavetheestate,andhewasreadytouseanytoolorrunanyriskforthatend.Hisfirstactwastoestablishhimselfasneartohisancestralhomeashecould,andhissecondwastocultivateafriendshipwithSirCharlesBaskervilleandwiththeneighbours. “Thebaronethimselftoldhimaboutthefamilyhound,andsopreparedthewayforhisowndeath.Stapleton,asIwillcontinuetocallhim,knewthattheoldman’sheartwasweakandthatashockwouldkillhim.SomuchhehadlearnedfromDr.Mortimer.HehadheardalsothatSirCharleswassuperstitiousandhadtakenthisgrimlegendveryseriously.Hisingeniousmindinstantlysuggestedawaybywhichthebaronetcouldbedonetodeath,andyetitwouldbehardlypossibletobringhometheguilttotherealmurderer. “Havingconceivedtheideaheproceededtocarryitoutwithconsiderablefinesse.Anordinaryschemerwouldhavebeencontenttoworkwithasavagehound.Theuseofartificialmeanstomakethecreaturediabolicalwasaflashofgeniusuponhispart.ThedogheboughtinLondonfromRossandMangles,thedealersinFulhamRoad.Itwasthestrongestandmostsavageintheirpossession.HebroughtitdownbytheNorthDevonlineandwalkedagreatdistanceoverthemoorsoastogetithomewithoutexcitinganyremarks.HehadalreadyonhisinsecthuntslearnedtopenetratetheGrimpenMire,andsohadfoundasafehiding-placeforthecreature.Herehekennelleditandwaitedhischance. “Butitwassometimecoming.Theoldgentlemancouldnotbedecoyedoutsideofhisgroundsatnight.SeveraltimesStapletonlurkedaboutwithhishound,butwithoutavail.Itwasduringthesefruitlessqueststhathe,orratherhisally,wasseenbypeasants,andthatthelegendofthedemondogreceivedanewconfirmation.HehadhopedthathiswifemightlureSirCharlestohisruin,butheresheprovedunexpectedlyindependent.Shewouldnotendeavourtoentangletheoldgentlemaninasentimentalattachmentwhichmightdeliverhimovertohisenemy.Threatsandeven,Iamsorrytosay,blowsrefusedtomoveher.Shewouldhavenothingtodowithit,andforatimeStapletonwasatadeadlock. “HefoundawayoutofhisdifficultiesthroughthechancethatSirCharles,whohadconceivedafriendshipforhim,madehimtheministerofhischarityinthecaseofthisunfortunatewoman,Mrs.LauraLyons.Byrepresentinghimselfasasinglemanheacquiredcompleteinfluenceoverher,andhegavehertounderstandthatintheeventofherobtainingadivorcefromherhusbandhewouldmarryher.HisplansweresuddenlybroughttoaheadbyhisknowledgethatSirCharleswasabouttoleavetheHallontheadviceofDr.Mortimer,withwhoseopinionhehimselfpretendedtocoincide.Hemustactatonce,orhisvictimmightgetbeyondhispower.HethereforeputpressureuponMrs.Lyonstowritethisletter,imploringtheoldmantogiveheraninterviewontheeveningbeforehisdepartureforLondon.Hethen,byaspeciousargument,preventedherfromgoing,andsohadthechanceforwhichhehadwaited. “DrivingbackintheeveningfromCoombeTraceyhewasintimetogethishound,totreatitwithhisinfernalpaint,andtobringthebeastroundtothegateatwhichhehadreasontoexpectthathewouldfindtheoldgentlemanwaiting.Thedog,incitedbyitsmaster,sprangoverthewicket-gateandpursuedtheunfortunatebaronet,whofledscreamingdowntheyewalley.Inthatgloomytunnelitmustindeedhavebeenadreadfulsighttoseethathugeblackcreature,withitsflamingjawsandblazingeyes,boundingafteritsvictim.Hefelldeadattheendofthealleyfromheartdiseaseandterror.Thehoundhadkeptuponthegrassyborderwhilethebaronethadrundownthepath,sothatnotrackbuttheman’swasvisible.Onseeinghimlyingstillthecreaturehadprobablyapproachedtosniffathim,butfindinghimdeadhadturnedawayagain.ItwasthenthatitlefttheprintwhichwasactuallyobservedbyDr.Mortimer.ThehoundwascalledoffandhurriedawaytoitslairintheGrimpenMire,andamysterywasleftwhichpuzzledtheauthorities,alarmedthecountryside,andfinallybroughtthecasewithinthescopeofourobservation.