A Retrospection

A month later, Holmes and I sat by the fire in Baker Street. Sir Henry had recovered from his terrible experience. He was traveling around the world to calm his nerves. 'Tell me the whole story, Holmes,' I asked. 'How did Stapleton plan all of this?' Holmes lit his pipe and began to explain. 'Stapleton was actually Rodger Baskerville, a distant cousin.' 'He was the son of Rodger Baskerville, the younger brother of Sir Charles.' 'The family thought this branch had died out in South America.' 'But Rodger survived and came to England under a false name.' 'He was a criminal even then,' continued Holmes. 'He ran a school in Yorkshire that failed due to scandal.' 'He changed his name to Stapleton and moved to Devonshire.' 'There he discovered he could inherit the Baskerville fortune.' 'But how did he get the hound?' I asked. 'He bought it in London,' said Holmes. 'It was a huge crossbreed, part bloodhound and part mastiff.' 'He trained it to hunt and kept it in the Grimpen Mire.' 'The phosphorus paint made it look supernatural.' 'Sir Charles was an old man with a weak heart,' explained Holmes. 'Stapleton knew the legend of the hound frightened him.' 'He used Mrs. Lyons to lure Sir Charles outside at night.' 'Then he released the hound upon him.' 'The sight of that glowing beast was enough to kill Sir Charles.' 'His heart simply gave out from terror.' 'And the stolen boots?' I asked. 'Stapleton needed something with Sir Henry's scent.' 'The new boot had no scent, so he stole an old one instead.' 'The hound would track Sir Henry anywhere by that scent.' 'What about Mrs. Stapleton?' I asked. 'He forced her to pretend to be his sister,' said Holmes. 'That way he could use her beauty to attract Sir Henry.' 'But she was not entirely under his control.' 'She tried to warn Sir Henry several times.' 'That is why he beat her and locked her up.' 'And what happened to Stapleton himself?' I asked. 'He ran into the Grimpen Mire to escape arrest.' 'In the fog and darkness, he must have lost his way.' 'The mire swallowed him, just as it swallows everything.' 'We found Sir Henry's stolen boot in his hiding place.' 'But we never found Stapleton's body.' 'So justice was served,' I said. 'Yes, though not by our hands,' agreed Holmes. 'The moor claimed its own.' 'What will happen to Mrs. Stapleton?' I wondered. 'She was a victim too, in her own way,' said Holmes. 'She has agreed to help the police with their investigation.' 'I expect she will be treated with mercy.' 'And the Barrymores?' I asked. 'They were guilty only of helping Mrs. Barrymore's brother.' 'Sir Henry has forgiven them and they remain at the Hall.' I thought about everything that had happened. A clever villain had used an old legend to cover his crimes. He had nearly succeeded in his terrible plan. 'It was a close call,' I admitted. 'Yes,' said Holmes thoughtfully. 'But in the end, truth and reason defeated superstition and evil.' 'The hound of the Baskervilles was just a dog, after all.' 'A very large and frightening dog, but nothing more.' And with that, the case of the Hound of the Baskervilles was closed.

Chapter Summary

Comprehension Questions

What was Stapleton's true identity?

Why did Stapleton steal Sir Henry's boot?

What kind of dog was the hound of the Baskervilles?

What was the main lesson Holmes drew from solving the case?

Vocabulary

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