巴斯克维尔猎犬-第4节

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‘I　had　no　idea　it　was　so　much，’said　Holmes　in　surprise．

‘The　Baskerville　lands　are　worth　about　one　million　pounds，’　Dr　Mortimer　said．

‘Dear　me，’said　Holmes．‘A　man　could　kill　for　that　much．One　more　question．If　something　happened　to　our　young　friend　here，who　would　get　Baskerville　Hall　and　all　its　lands？’

‘Well，as　you　know，Sir　Charles　had　two　brothers．Sir　Henry　is　the　only　son　of　Sir　Charles’younger　brother．The　youngest　brother　of　the　three，Roger，was　a　criminal．The　police　wanted　him，so　he　had　to　leave　England．They　say　he　looked　exactly　like　the　family　picture　of　old　Sir　Hugo，who　first　saw　the　Hound．He　was　the　same　kind　of　man，too．He　went　to　South　America，where　he　died　of　a　fever．So　if　Sir　Henry　died，Baskerville　Hall　would　go　to　James　Desmond，who　is　a　cousin　of　the　Baskervilles．James　Desmond　is　an　old　man，who　lives　in　the　north　of　England．His　life　is　very　simple　and　he　would　not　want　to　be　rich．’

‘Thank　you，Dr　Mortimer，’said　Holmes．‘Now，Sir　Henry，I　agree　that　you　should　go　to　Baskerville　Hall　as　quickly　as　pos－　sible．But　you　must　not　go　alone．I　myself　cannot　leave　London　at　the　present　time．I　am　working　on　another　case．I　am　trying　to　save　one　of　the　most　important　men　in　England　from　a　diffi－　cult　situation．I　hope　my　friend　Watson　will　go　with　you．If　there　is　danger，you　could　not　have　a　better　man　by　your　side．’

Sir　Henry　and　I　were　both　very　happy　with　this　idea．So　we　arranged　to　travel　to　Devonshire　on　the　following　Saturday．

Just　as　we　were　leaving　Sir　Henry's　room，he　gave　a　cry　and　got　down　on　his　knees　by　the　table．

‘Here's　my　brown　shoe　that　was　lost，’he　said，reaching　un－　der　the　table．

‘That's　very　strange，’said　Dr　Mortimer．‘We　both　

searched　the　room　before　lunch，and　it　wasn't　under　the　table　then．’

None　of　the　people　who　worked　at　the　hotel　could　explain　how　the　shoe　had　got　back　into　the　room．

So　we　had　another　mystery．On　the　way　back　to　Baker　Street　in　the　taxi，Holmes　sat　thinking　deeply．All　through　the　afternoon　and　the　evening　he　went　on　thinking　silently，and　smoking　pipe　after　pipe．

Just　before　dinner，a　telegram　arrived．It　was　from　Sir　Henry　and　said：‘Have　just　heard　that　Barrymore　is　at　the　Hall．’

‘So　we　don't　have　the　answer　to　the　mystery　of　the　man　with　the　beard，’said　Holmes．‘But　perhaps　we　shall　soon　have　an　answer　to　another　question．’

At　that　moment　the　door　bell　rang．It　was　the　driver　of　the　bearded　man's　taxi．

‘I　got　a　message　that　you　wanted　to　see　me，’said　the　driver．‘I　hope　there's　nothing　wrong．’

‘No，no，my　good　man，’said　Holmes．‘In　fact　I'll　give　you　some　money　if　you　can　answer　my　questions　clearly．Tell　me　all　about　the　man　in　your　taxi　this　morning．He　was　watching　this　house　at　ten　o’clock　and　then　told　you　to　follow　the　two　gentlemen　who　came　out　of　it．’

The　taxi　driver　was　surprised　at　how　much　Holmes　seemed　to　know．He　answered：‘The　man　told　me　that　he　was　a　detec－　tive，and　that　I　should　say　nothing　about　him　to　anyone．’

‘This　is　a　serious　business，’said　Holmes，‘and　you　will　be　in　trouble　if　you　try　to　hide　anything．What　can　you　tell　me？’

‘The　man　told　me　his　name，’said　the　driver．

Holmes　looked　like　a　man　who　has　just　won　an　important　game．‘That　was　not　very　clever　of　him，’he　said．‘What　was　his　name？’

‘His　name，’said　the　taxi　driver，‘was　Sherlock　Holmes．’

I　have　never　seen　my　friend　look　more　surprised　Then　he　laughed　loudly．‘Tell　me　where　be　got　into　your　taxi　and　everything　that　happened．’

We　already　knew　most　of　what　the　taxi　driver　told　us．But　we　learned　that　after　we　had　lost　sight　of　the　taxi，it　had　gone　to　Waterloo　Station，where　the　man　had　caught　his　train．The　taxi　driver　said　that　the　man　was　well…dressed　and　had　a　black　beard　and　pale　face．He　was　about　forty　and　not　very　tall．The　driver　did　not　know　the　colour　of　the　man's　eyes．

Holmes　gave　the　man　a　pound，and　sent　him　away．Then　he　said：

‘We　have　a　very　clever　enemy，Watson．He　is　winning　the　game　at　the　moment．We　have　no　answers　at　all　to　the　strange　things　that　have　happened　in　London．I　hope　you　are　more　suc…　cessful　at　Baskerville　Hall，but　I　am　not　happy　about　sending　you　there．There　is　too　much　danger　in　this　case．’　

　　



　
7　　Baskerville　Hall

　　

Holmes　came　to　Waterloo　Station　to　say　goodbye　to　us．Our　friends　told　him　that　they　were　sure　nobody　had　followed　them　since　our　last　meeting．Sir　Henry's　other　shoe　had　not　reappeared．Holmes　repeated　his　warning　that　Sir　Hen－　ry　should　not　go　on　the　moor　at　night，and　should　not　go　any…　where　alone．Then　Holmes　checked　with　me　that　I　had　my　gun，an　army　revolver．

The　journey　was　fast　and　enjoyable．We　were　met　at　New－　town　Station　and　driven　to　Baskerville　Hall．The　countryside　we　drove　through　was　beautiful，but　behind　it　we　could　see　the　long，dark，frightening　hills　of　the　moor．

As　we　turned　a　corner，we　were　surprised　to　see　a　soldier　on　horseback．He　was　carrying　a　gun．

Dr　Mortimer　asked　our　driver　why　the　soldier　was　there．

‘A　dangerous　criminal　has　escaped　from　the　prison，sir，’he　told　us．‘He's　been　free　for　three　days　now，and　people　are　frightened．His　name　is　Selden．He's　the　man　who　did　that　murder　in　London．’

I　remembered　the　case　well．It　had　been　a　very　cruel　murder．I　thought　of　this　killer　out　on　the　empty，wild　moor，and　I　felt　more　and　more　uncomfortable　about　my　surroundings．The　beautiful　green　fields　with　their　thick　hedges　were　behind　us，and　we　were　now　on　the　cold，open　moor．Everything　was　grey，hard　and　wild　Huge　rough　stones　stood　on　the　hard　ground．The　tops　of　the　hills　stood　sharply　like　cruel　teeth　against　the　sky．A　cold　wind　was　blowing，and　night　was　falling．I　saw　Sir　Henry　pull　his　coat　closer　round　him．

At　last　we　reached　the　gates　of　Baskerville　Hall．From　the　gates　a　long，dark　road　led　up　to　the　house，with　the　black　shapes　of　old　trees　on　each　side　of　it．At　the　end　of　this　road　we　could　see　the　great　house　standing　with　a　pale　light　round　it　like　a　ghost．

‘I　can　understand　why　my　uncle　felt　that　trouble　was　com－　ing　to　him　here．It's　not　a　welcoming　place，’said　Sir　Henry，and　his　voice　shook　as　he　spoke．

As　we　got　closer，we　could　see　that　the　Hall　was　a　heavy，dark　building　with　a　large　main　entrance．Most　of　the　building　was　old　and　was　covered　in　dark　green　ivy，but　some　of　it　had　been　built　more　recently　and　was　of　grim，black　stone．A　dull　light　shone　through　the　heavy　windows．Black　smoke　was　com－　ing　from　one　of　the　high　chimneys　of　the　main　building．

‘Welcome，Sir　Henry！Welcome　to　Baskerville　Hall．’

Barrymore，the　butler，and　his　wife　were　waiting　on　the　steps　at　the　main　entrance　They　came　down　and　took　our　suit－　cases　into　the　house　Dr　Mortimer　left　us　to　go　home，and　we　went　into　the　hall，where　a　fire　was　burning．It　was　a　fine　room，large　and　high．

‘It's　exactly　as　I　imagined　an　old　family　home，’Sir　Henry　said．

Barrymore　showed　us　to　our　rooms　He　was　a　tall，handsome　man，with　a　full　black　beard．After　we　had　washed　and　changed　our　clothes，he　brought　us　to　dinner．The　dining…room　was　not　very　welcoming．It　needed　more　lights　to　make　it　brighter．On　the　walls　were　the　pictures　of　the　Baskervilles　of　the　past．They　looked　down　on　us　silently，and　did　nothing　to　make　us　feel　happier．

After　dinner　we　went　to　our　rooms．Before　I　got　into　bed，I　looked　out　of　my　window　A　strong　wind　sang　sadly　as　it　bent　the　trees　in　front　of　the　Hall．A　half　moon　shone　through　the　dark，flying　clouds　onto　the　wild　and　empty　moor．

I　could　not　sleep．Then，suddenly，in　the　middle　of　the　night　I　heard　very　clearly　the　sound　of　a　woman　crying．It　was　the　crying　of　a　person　who　was　hurt　by　some　deep　sadness．The　sound　was　not　far　away，and　was　certainly　in　the　house．

　　



　
8　　The　Stapletons　of　Pen　House　

　　

The　next　morning　was　sunny，and　we　were　much　more　cheerful．

I　told　Sir　Henry　about　the　crying　I　had　heard．He　rang　the　bell　to　call　Barrymore，and　asked　him　if　he　could　explain　the　crying．Barrymore's　face　went　white　when　he　heard　Sir　Henry's　question．

‘There　are　only　two　women　in　the　house，Sir　Henry，’he　an…　swered．‘One　is　the　maid，who　sleeps　on　the　other　side　of　the　house．The　other　is　my　wife，and　she　was　certainly　not　crying．’

But　he　was　telling　a　lie．I　saw　Mrs　Barrymore　after　breakfast．The　sun　was　full　on　her　face，and　it　was　clear　she　had　been　crying．

Why　had　Barrymore　lied？What　deep　sadness　had　made　his　wife　cry？There　was　a　mystery　surrounding　this　black…　bearded，handsome　man．Was　it　possible　that　Barrymore　was　in　fact　the　man　who　had　been　watching　Sir　Henry　in　London？I　decided　I　must　check　with　the　local　post　office　that　the　tele－　gram　had　really　been　put　into　Barrymore's　own　hands．

While　Sir　Henry　worked　at　some　papers，I　walked　to　the　post　office．It　was　in　the　nearest　village，which　was　called　Grimpen．I　spoke　to　the　boy　who　had　taken　the　telegram　to　the　Hall．

‘Did　you　give　it　to　Mr　Barrymore　himself？’I　asked．

‘Well，’the　boy　said，‘he　was　working　upon　the　roof，so　I　couldn't　give　it　to　him．I　gave　it　to　Mrs　Barrymore，and　she　promised　to　give　it　to　him　at　onc