The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (books to read this summer .txt) ๐
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- Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
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โAnd also,โ said Holmes, โthat someone is not ill-disposed towards you, since they warn you of danger.โ
โOr it may be that they wish, for their own purposes, to scare me away.โ
โWell, of course, that is possible also. I am very much indebted to you, Dr. Mortimer, for introducing me to a problem which presents several interesting alternatives. But the practical point which we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is or is not advisable for you to go to Baskerville Hall.โ
โWhy should I not go?โ
โThere seems to be danger.โ
โDo you mean danger from this family fiend or do you mean danger from human beings?โ
โWell, that is what we have to find out.โ
โWhichever it is, my answer is fixed. There is no devil in hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people, and you may take that to be my final answer.โ His dark brows knitted and his face flushed to a dusky red as he spoke. It was evident that the fiery temper of the Baskervilles was not extinct in this their last representative. โMeanwhile,โ said he, โI have hardly had time to think over all that you have told me. Itโs a big thing for a man to have to understand and to decide at one sitting. I should like to have a quiet hour by myself to make up my mind. Now, look here, Mr. Holmes, itโs half-past eleven now and I am going back right away to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend, Dr. Watson, come round and lunch with us at two. Iโll be able to tell you more clearly then how this thing strikes me.โ
โIs that convenient to you, Watson?โ
โPerfectly.โ
โThen you may expect us. Shall I have a cab called?โ
โIโd prefer to walk, for this affair has flurried me rather.โ
โIโll join you in a walk, with pleasure,โ said his companion.
โThen we meet again at two oโclock. Au revoir, and good-morning!โ
We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and the bang of the front door. In an instant Holmes had changed from the languid dreamer to the man of action.
โYour hat and boots, Watson, quick! Not a moment to lose!โ He rushed into his room in his dressing-gown and was back again in a few seconds in a frock-coat. We hurried together down the stairs and into the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were still visible about two hundred yards ahead of us in the direction of Oxford Street.
โShall I run on and stop them?โ
โNot for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfied with your company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise, for it is certainly a very fine morning for a walk.โ
He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distance which divided us by about half. Then, still keeping a hundred yards behind, we followed into Oxford Street and so down Regent Street. Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window, upon which Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gave a little cry of satisfaction, and, following the direction of his eager eyes, I saw that a hansom cab with a man inside which had halted on the other side of the street was now proceeding slowly onward again.
โThereโs our man, Watson! Come along! Weโll have a good look at him, if we can do no more.โ
At that instant I was aware of a bushy black beard and a pair of piercing eyes turned upon us through the side window of the cab. Instantly the trapdoor at the top flew up, something was screamed to the driver, and the cab flew madly off down Regent Street. Holmes looked eagerly round for another, but no empty one was in sight. Then he dashed in wild pursuit amid the stream of the traffic, but the start was too great, and already the cab was out of sight.
โThere now!โ said Holmes bitterly as he emerged panting and white with vexation from the tide of vehicles. โWas ever such bad luck and such bad management, too? Watson, Watson, if you are an honest man you will record this also and set it against my successes!โ
โWho was the man?โ
โI have not an idea.โ
โA spy?โ
โWell, it was evident from what we have heard that Baskerville has been very closely shadowed by someone since he has been in town. How else could it be known so quickly that it was the Northumberland Hotel which he had chosen? If they had followed him the first day I argued that they would follow him also the second. You may have observed that I twice strolled over to the window while Dr. Mortimer was reading his legend.โ
โYes, I remember.โ
โI was looking out for loiterers in the street, but I saw none. We are dealing with a clever man, Watson. This matter cuts very deep, and though I have not finally made up my mind whether it is a benevolent or a malevolent agency which is in touch with us, I am conscious always of power and design. When our friends left I at once followed them in the hopes of marking down their invisible attendant. So wily was he that he had not trusted himself upon foot, but he had availed himself of a cab so that he could loiter behind or dash past them and so escape their notice. His method had the additional advantage that if they were to take a cab he was all ready to follow them. It has, however, one obvious disadvantage.โ
โIt puts him in the power of the cabman.โ
โExactly.โ
โWhat a pity we did not get the number!โ
โMy dear Watson, clumsy as I have been, you surely do not seriously imagine that I neglected to get the number? No. 2704 is our man. But that is no use to us for the moment.โ
โI fail to see how you could have done more.โ
โOn observing the cab I should have instantly turned and walked in the other direction. I should then at my leisure have hired a second cab and followed the first at a respectful distance, or, better still, have driven to the Northumberland Hotel and waited there. When our unknown had followed Baskerville home we should have had the opportunity of playing his own game upon himself and seeing where he made for. As it is, by an indiscreet eagerness, which was taken advantage of with extraordinary quickness and energy by our opponent, we have betrayed ourselves and lost our man.โ
We had been sauntering slowly down Regent Street during this conversation, and Dr. Mortimer, with his companion, had long vanished in front of us.
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