巴斯克维尔猎犬(英文版)-第13章

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hool　closed．

‘When　he　met　Sir　Charles，he　heard　the　story　of　the　hell　hound．He　also　learned　that　Sir　Charles　believed　these　super　natural　stories，and　that　he　had　a　weak　heart．

‘Stapleton　had　the　idea　of　buying　a　huge　hound，and　of　using　the　phosphorus　to　make　it　shine　like　the　hound　in　the　story．I　have　found　the　place　where　he　bought　the　animal．He　took　it　by　train　to　Devonshire　and　walked　many　miles　over　the　moors　with　it　so　that　it　would　not　be　seen　near　Baskerville　Hall．

‘He　needed　to　get　Sir　Charles　out　of　the　Hall　at　night．This　would　be　easy　to　do　if　his　wife　made　Sir　Charles　fall　in　love　with　her．But，although　he　beat　her，she　refused　to　help　him　with　his　evil　plan．

‘Then　Stapleton　met　Laura　Lyons．We　know　that　he　made　her　write　a　letter　to　bring　Sir　Charles　to　the　moor　gate　on　that　sad　night．The　hound，which　was　shining　with　phosphorus，chased　Sir　Charles　down　the　Yew　Alley．Sir　Charles’　terror　was　so　great　that　his　weak　heart　stopped，and　he　died，but　the　animal　did　not　touch　the　dead　body．

‘The　hound　had　run　on　the　grass，so　it　left　no　footprints，ex　cept　the　one　found　by　Dr　Mortimer．You　see　how　clever　Staple　ton　was．Neither　he　nor　the　hound　had　touched　Sir　Charles　so　there　was　no　sign　of　murder．The　only　two　people　who　might　suspect　him—his　wife　and　Mrs　Lyons　could　not　be　certain　about　what　he　had　done．Anyway，neither　of　them　would　in　form　the　police　about　him．

‘Next，Stapleton　learned　that　Sir　Henry　had　reached　Eng　land，so　he　went　to　London．He　hoped　to　murder　Sir　Henry　there．He　took　his　wife　with　him，but　he　wasn't　sure　that　she　would　keep　his　secret，so　he　did　not　tell　her　the　truth．He　locked　her　up　in　their　hotel．She　knew　that　he　had　some　evil　plan，but　she　was　too　frightened　to　give　Sir　Henry　a　clear　warning．Instead，she　sent　him　the　letter　made　of　words　cut　from　a　newspaper．

‘Meanwhile，Stapleton　was　wearing　a　false　beard　and　fol　lowing　Sir　Henry．He　needed　something　to　give　the　hound　Sir　Henry's　scent，so　he　paid　a　maid　at　Sir　Henry's　hotel　to　steal　one　of　his　shoes　The　first　one　was　a　new　one，and　didn't　have　Sir　Henry's　scent　on　it．It　was　no　use　for　the　hound，so　he　put　it　back，and　another，older，shoe　was　stolen．When　the　shoes　were　changed，I　knew　that　the　hound　must　be　a　natural　and　not　a　supernatural　creature．

‘Next　there　was　the　letter　made　of　words　cut　from　a　news　paper．When　I　looked　at　it，I　held　it　close　to　my　eyes．I　noticed　a　smell　of　perfume，so　I　guessed　that　a　woman　had　sent　the　let　ter．

‘By　the　time　I　went　to　Devonshire　I　knew　that　there　was　a　real　hound，and　I　knew　we　were　looking　for　a　man　and　a　wom　an．I　guessed　that　the　Stapletons　were　the　pair．I　had　to　watch　Stapleton，but　I　had　to　hide　myself　As　I　have　explained．I　could　not　tell　you　what　I　was　doing．I　stayed　in　Newtown　and　used　the　hut　on　the　moor　only　when　necessary．

‘Your　letters　were　sent　to　me　immediately　from　Baker　Street，and　were　very　helpful．When　you　told　me　that　Stapleton　had　owned　a　school　in　the　north　of　England．I　checked　on　him　and　where　he　had　e　from．I　discovered　he　had　e　from　South　America．And　then　everything　became　clear．

‘By　the　time　you　found　me　on　the　moor，I　knew　everything，but　I　could　prove　nothing．We　had　to　catch　the　man　doing　something　criminal，and　so　I　had　to　put　Sir　Henry　in　danger．

‘Dr　Mortimer　tells　me　that　Sir　Henry　will　be　pletely　better　after　some　rest．As　you　know，the　two　of　them　have　be　e　good　friends，and　are　going　on　a　long　holiday　together．Sir　Henry　will　take　some　time　to　fet　Miss　Stapleton．He　loved　her　deeply　and　it　hurt　him　badly　when　he　learned　the　truth　about　her．

‘She　was　very　frightened　of　her　cruel　husband，but　she　sus　pected　that　he　was　responsible　for　Sir　Charles’　death．She　knew　about　the　hound，and　when　Selden　died　she　guessed　that　the　hound　had　killed　him．She　knew　her　husband　had　the　hound　at　their　house　on　the　night　Sir　Henry　came　to　dinner．They　argued　about　the　hound　that　evening，and　as　they　argued　Stapleton　told　her　about　Mrs　Lyons．Any　love　she　had　for　her　husband　disappeared　at　that　moment．He　knew　that　she　want　ed　to　help　Sir　Henry，so　he　beat　her　and　tied　her　up．

‘He　probably　hoped　that　when　he　inherited　the　Baskerville　lands，she　would　love　him　again．He　certainly　thought　that　she　would　keep　silent　if　she　became　Lady　Baskerville．But　I　think　he　was　wrong．He　had　been　too　cruel　to　her．She　could　not　for　give　him　or　love　him　again，nor，I　think，allow　him　to　enjoy　the　results　of　his　crime．

‘Of　course，he　could　not　frighten　Sir　Henry　in　the　same　way　as　Sir　Charles．Sir　Henry　was　a　young　and　healthy　man．So　he　kept　the　hound　hungry．He　knew　that　the　animal　would　either　kill　Sir　Henry　or　would　hurt　him　so　badly　that　it　would　be　easy　to　plete　the　murder．’

I　had　one　last　question　for　Holmes．‘But　Stapleton　was　living　so　close　to　Baskerville　Hall　and　using　a　false　name．It　looked　very　strange．How　would　he　explain　that　to　the　police，if　after　Sir　Henry's　death　he　then　inherited　the　Baskerville　lands　and　fortune？’

‘I　don't　know　how　he　planned　to　explain　the　false　name　and　why　he　was　living　at　Pen　House，’said　Holmes．‘I　can　only　say　that　he　was　a　very　clever　man．I　am　sure　he　had　thought　of　an　answer　to　the　problem．

‘But　that's　enough　work　for　the　evening，Watson．I　have　two　tickets　for　the　theatre．If　we　get　ready　now，we　shall　have　time　to　stop　at　my　favourite　restaurant　for　some　dinner　on　the　way．’

　　


【坐等吃鱼】整理