Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 2

Chapter 76 The Hound of the Baskervilles 15
"We are about to get him," said Holmes, as we walked across the moor. "He was so calm when he discovered that his plot had killed another man by mistake. We had never met him before." Have you ever met such a difficult opponent!"

"I'm surprised he can recognize you."

"I will always be found by him."

"He knows you are here, will he change his plan because of this?"

"Probably makes him more careful, maybe makes him take crazy actions right away."

"Why not arrest him at once?"

"It does us no good. Our evidence is not strong enough."

"We have evidence!"

"Our evidence is just reasoning in our heads. If we take him to court with such 'evidence', we will be laughed to death."

"Sir Childs' death is strong evidence."

"There's not a single wound to be found on him, and though we both know the hounds frightened him to death, we couldn't convince the twelve jurors in the courthouse of that."

"Then, can't what happened tonight be used as evidence?"

"As last time, there is no connection between the Hound and the man's death. We have only heard his voice today, and that is no evidence. We have not yet reached a complete conclusion on the whole case."

"What should we do now?"

"I have great hopes for Mrs. Laura Lyons."

Nor could I draw any conclusions from him, and he walked, absorbed in his speculations, until he reached the gates of Baskerville Hall.

"Are you going to see Sir Henry, too?"

"Yes. But let me tell you one last thing, don't tell Sir Henry about the Hound. That way he will be strong enough to meet the ordeals he will have to go through tomorrow. In your report, you said they were going to Come and eat at home in Staple Valley."

"They asked me to go with them, too."

"He has to go to the appointment alone, it's much easier to arrange that."

Sir Henry was very happy to see Holmes, because he had been looking forward to Holmes' arrival these days and hoped that he would come to help him.Sir Henry, however, expressed surprise when he found that he had neither luggage nor explained the matter.We told him everything we could tell the baronet in our story today.Besides, I broke the news to Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore, which might have been a pleasant thing to Barrymore, but Mrs. Barrymore wept bitterly when she heard it.In her mind, he was always that little brother when she was young.

The baronet told us: "I have kept my promise to you, and if I hadn't sworn not to go out alone, probably I would have had a very exciting evening, because Staple Valley wrote me a letter , invited me to his house tonight."

"It is true," said Holmes to the baron, "but we thought you had broken your neck in the moor, and we mourned for you."

Sir Henry was stunned. "What happened?"

"The fugitive was wearing your clothes. We deduce that your servant gave it to him. Maybe the police will come to trouble you and your servant."

"I don't think so. There are no marks on the clothes I sent away."

"Then you are lucky."

"But what is our case now?" asked the baronet.

"In the moor we heard the barking of the hound. If you could put a bridle and chain on this dog, I would swear you were the most famous detective ever."

"These things come easy to me with your help," said Sir Henry firmly. "I will do whatever you want me to do."

"Very well, I ask you to do what I say, instead of asking why, why."

"Ok."

"If you do that, I think our little problem will be solved, I'm sure—"

He stopped talking suddenly and stared at something above my head.

We both stood up: "What's the matter?"

He pointed to some paintings on the opposite wall, "Look, these portraits are really well drawn."

Sir Henry looked at my friend in surprise. "I dare not pretend to be an expert in these things hanging on the wall. I didn't know that a famous detective like you had time to study such things."

"Fortunately, I saw it at a glance. I can now see that it is a work by Yu Le, that is the portrait of the woman in blue silk over there. And the fat one with the wig The gentleman must have been written by Reynolds. Are these portraits of your family?"

"Everything on the wall is."

"Do you know people's names?"

"Barrymore told me patiently."

"Then please tell me who the gentleman with the telescope is."

"That's Rear Admiral Baskerville, who served under Rodney in the West Indies, and the man in the blue coat with the roll of paper is Sir William Baskerville, who, when Pitt was Prime Minister, Chairman of the House of Commons Committee."

"And this knight—the one with the black velvet cloak and sash?"

"He is the source of all bad luck. It is with him that the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles begins."

I stared at the portrait in amazement.

"Good heavens," said Holmes, "there was something evil in his eyes, and I had imagined him to be another, rougher, and far more murderous being!"

"This portrait is real because the artist's name and the date '1647' are written on the back of the canvas."

Holmes said no more, but his eyes remained fixed on the portrait while he ate his supper.When Sir Henry had retired to rest, he led me back into the banquet-room, holding a candle aloft in the light of the portraits hung on the walls, dull with age.

"Did you see anything useful in the portrait?"

"Is it like someone you know?"

"The chin is sort of like Sir Henry's."

"Maybe a little bit, wait a minute!" He stood on a chair, held the candle in his left hand, and bent his right arm to cover his wide-brimmed hat and long hanging curls.

I couldn't help but exclaimed: "My God!"

The faces of Staple Valley seem to literally pop out of the canvas.

Holmes said happily: "Ha ha! You can see it! My eyes can see through any disguise."

"Simply wonderful, perhaps this is his portrait!"

"It is indeed a most vivid example of atavism. Obviously Staple Valley is also descended from the Baskervilles."

"He must have meant to take all of Baskerville's property and make it his own."

"Indeed, this portrait also provides us with a clue that is obviously most needed. I swear to God, before tomorrow night, he will be flapping hopelessly in the net like the butterfly he usually catches. , we only need a needle, a piece of cork and a card, and we can keep him intact in the herbarium in Baker Street!"

I got up very early next morning, but while I was dressing beside the bed, Holmes returned from outside.

"Ah! Watson, we must fight a beautiful battle today!" He said to me, "The net is all set up, and we will close the net soon, and the results will come out today."

"Have you been in the moor?"

"I've sent a message from Green Basin to the Princetown police about Seldan's death on the moor last night. I've got to get in touch with Cartley."

"So what do we do next?"

"We ought to consult with Sir Henry. Ah! What a coincidence that he is here!"

The baronet greeted us from afar: "Good morning, Holmes."

"Watson is asking for a fight."

"Today I'm also on standby."

"Very well. I heard that Mr. Staple Valley invited you to dinner tonight, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)