Chapter 15. A Retrospection

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ItwastheendofNovember,andHolmesandIsat,uponarawandfoggynight,oneithersideofablazingfireinoursitting-roominBakerStreet.SincethetragicupshotofourvisittoDevonshirehehadbeenengagedintwoaffairsoftheutmostimportance,inthefirstofwhichhehadexposedtheatrociousconductofColonelUpwoodinconnectionwiththefamouscardscandaloftheNonpareilClub,whileinthesecondhehaddefendedtheunfortunateMme.Montpensierfromthechargeofmurderwhichhungoverherinconnectionwiththedeathofherstep-daughter,Mlle.Carére,theyoungladywho,asitwillberemembered,wasfoundsixmonthslateraliveandmarriedinNewYork.Myfriendwasinexcellentspiritsoverthesuccesswhichhadattendedasuccessionofdifficultandimportantcases,sothatIwasabletoinducehimtodiscussthedetailsoftheBaskervillemystery.IhadwaitedpatientlyfortheopportunityforIwasawarethathewouldneverpermitcasestooverlap,andthathisclearandlogicalmindwouldnotbedrawnfromitspresentworktodwelluponmemoriesofthepast.SirHenryandDr.Mortimerwere,however,inLondon,ontheirwaytothatlongvoyagewhichhadbeenrecommendedfortherestorationofhisshatterednerves.Theyhadcalleduponusthatveryafternoon,sothatitwasnaturalthatthesubjectshouldcomeupfordiscussion. “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,