Chapter 12. Death on the Moor

hewarmthofHolmes’spraisedrovemyangerfrommymind.IfeltalsoinmyheartthathewasrightinwhathesaidandthatitwasreallybestforourpurposethatIshouldnothaveknownthathewasuponthemoor. “That’sbetter,”saidhe,seeingtheshadowrisefrommyface.“AndnowtellmetheresultofyourvisittoMrs.LauraLyons—itwasnotdifficultformetoguessthatitwastoseeherthatyouhadgone,forIamalreadyawarethatsheistheonepersoninCoombeTraceywhomightbeofservicetousinthematter.Infact,ifyouhadnotgonetodayitisexceedinglyprobablethatIshouldhavegonetomorrow.” Thesunhadsetandduskwassettlingoverthemoor.Theairhadturnedchillandwewithdrewintothehutforwarmth.There,sittingtogetherinthetwilight,ItoldHolmesofmyconversationwiththelady.SointerestedwashethatIhadtorepeatsomeofittwicebeforehewassatisfied. “Thisismostimportant,”saidhewhenIhadconcluded.“ItfillsupagapwhichIhadbeenunabletobridgeinthismostcomplexaffair.Youareaware,perhaps,thatacloseintimacyexistsbetweenthisladyandthemanStapleton?” “Ididnotknowofacloseintimacy.” “Therecanbenodoubtaboutthematter.Theymeet,theywrite,thereisacompleteunderstandingbetweenthem.Now,thisputsaverypowerfulweaponintoourhands.IfIcouldonlyuseittodetachhiswife—” “Hiswife?” “Iamgivingyousomeinformationnow,inreturnforallthatyouhavegivenme.TheladywhohaspassedhereasMissStapletonisinrealityhiswife.” “Goodheavens,Holmes!Areyousureofwhatyousay?HowcouldhehavepermittedSirHenrytofallinlovewithher?” “SirHenry’sfallinginlovecoulddonoharmtoanyoneexceptSirHenry.HetookparticularcarethatSirHenrydidnotmakelovetoher,asyouhaveyourselfobserved.Irepeatthattheladyishiswifeandnothissister.” “Butwhythiselaboratedeception?” “Becauseheforesawthatshewouldbeverymuchmoreusefultohiminthecharacterofafreewoman.” Allmyunspokeninstincts,myvaguesuspicions,suddenlytookshapeandcentreduponthenaturalist.Inthatimpassivecolourlessman,withhisstrawhatandhisbutterfly-net,Iseemedtoseesomethingterrible—acreatureofinfinitepatienceandcraft,withasmilingfaceandamurderousheart. “Itishe,then,whoisourenemy—itishewhodoggedusinLondon?” “SoIreadtheriddle.” “Andthewarning—itmusthavecomefromher!” “Exactly.” Theshapeofsomemonstrousvillainy,halfseen,halfguessed,loomedthroughthedarknesswhichhadgirtmesolong. “Butareyousureofthis,Holmes?Howdoyouknowthatthewomanishiswife?” “Becausehesofarforgothimselfastotellyouatruepieceofautobiographyupontheoccasionwhenhefirstmetyou,andIdaresayhehasmanyatimeregretteditsince.HewasonceaschoolmasterinthenorthofEngland.Now,thereisnoonemoreeasytotracethanaschoolmaster.Therearescholasticagenciesbywhichonemayidentifyanymanwhohasbeenintheprofession.Alittleinvestigationshowedmethataschoolhadcometogriefunderatrociouscircumstances,andthatthemanwhohadownedit—thenamewasdifferent—haddisappearedwithhiswife.Thedescriptionsagreed.WhenIlearnedthatthemissingmanwasdevotedtoentomologytheidentificationwascomplete.” Thedarknesswasrising,butmuchwasstillhiddenbytheshadows. “Ifthiswomanisintruthhiswife,wheredoesMrs.LauraLyonscomein?”Iasked. “Thatisoneofthepointsuponwhichyourownresearcheshaveshedalight.Yourinterviewwiththeladyhasclearedthesituationverymuch.Ididnotknowaboutaprojecteddivorcebetweenherselfandherhusband.Inthatcase,regardingStapletonasanunmarriedman,shecountednodoubtuponbecominghiswife.” “Andwhensheisundeceived?” “Why,thenwemayfindtheladyofservice.Itmustbeourfirstdutytoseeher—bothofus—tomorrow.Don’tyouthink,Watson,thatyouareawayfromyourchargeratherlong?YourplaceshouldbeatBaskervilleHall.” Thelastredstreakshadfadedawayinthewestandnighthadsettleduponthemoor.Afewfaintstarsweregleaminginavioletsky. “Onelastquestion,Holmes,”IsaidasIrose.“Surelythereisnoneedofsecrecybetweenyouandme.Whatisthemeaningofitall?Whatisheafter?” Holmes’svoicesankasheanswered: “Itismurder,Watson—refined,cold-blooded,deliberatemurder.Donotaskmeforparticulars.Mynetsareclosinguponhim,evenashisareuponSirHenry,andwithyourhelpheisalreadyalmostatmymercy.Thereisbutonedangerwhichcanthreatenus.Itisthatheshouldstrikebeforewearereadytodoso.Anotherday—twoatthemost—andIhavemycasecomplete,butuntilthenguardyourchargeascloselyaseverafondmotherwatchedherailingchild.Yourmissiontodayhasjustifieditself,andyetIcouldalmostwishthatyouhadnotlefthisside.Hark!” Aterriblescream—aprolongedyellofhorrorandanguish—burstoutofthesilenceofthemoor.Thatfrightfulcryturnedtheb