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08 - First Report of Dr Watson · Sherlock Holmes

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eight of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir
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  Speaker 1: Arthur Conan Doyle. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter eight, first report of Doctor Watson. From this point onward,
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  Speaker 1: I will follow the course of events by transcribing my
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  Speaker 1: own letters to mister Sherlock Holmes, which lie before me
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  Speaker 1: on the table. One page is missing, but otherwise they
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  Speaker 1: are exactly as written, and show my feelings and suspicions
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  Speaker 1: of the moment more accurately than my memory, clear as
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  Speaker 1: it is upon these tragic events, can possibly do. Baskerville Hall,
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  Speaker 1: October thirteenth, My dear Holmes, my previous letters and telegrams
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  Speaker 1: have kept you pretty well up to date as to
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  Speaker 1: all that has occurred in this most god forsaken corner
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  Speaker 1: of the world. The longer one stays here, the more
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  Speaker 1: does the spirit of the moor sink into one's soul,
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  Speaker 1: its vastness and also its grim charm. When you are
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  Speaker 1: once out upon its bosom, you have left all traces
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  Speaker 1: of modern England behind you. But on the other hand,
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  Speaker 1: you are conscious everywhere of the homes and the work
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  Speaker 1: of the prehistoric people. On all sides of you. As
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  Speaker 1: you walk are the houses of these forgotten folk, with
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  Speaker 1: their graves and the huge monoliths which are supposed to
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  Speaker 1: have marked their temples. As you look at their gray
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  Speaker 1: stone huts against the scarred hillsides, you leave your own
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  Speaker 1: age behind you. And if you were to see a
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  Speaker 1: skin clad hairy man crawl out from the low door,
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  Speaker 1: fitting a flint tipped arrow on to the string of
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  Speaker 1: his bow, you would feel that his presence there was
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  Speaker 1: more natural than your own. The strange thing is that
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  Speaker 1: they should have lived so thickly on what must have
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  Speaker 1: always have been most unfruitful soil. I am no antiquarian,
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  Speaker 1: but I could imagine that they were some unwarlike and
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  Speaker 1: harried race who were forced to accept that which none
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  Speaker 1: other would occupy. All this, however, is foreign to the
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  Speaker 1: mission on which you sent me, and will probably be
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  Speaker 1: very uninteresting to your severely practical mind. I can still
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  Speaker 1: remember your complete indifference as to whether the Sun moved
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  Speaker 1: round the earth or the earth round the Sun. Let me, therefore,
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  Speaker 1: return to the facts concerning Sir Henry Baskerville. If you
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  Speaker 1: have not had any report within the last few days,
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  Speaker 1: it is because up to to day there was nothing
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  Speaker 1: of importance to relate. Then a very surprising circumstance occurred,
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  Speaker 1: which I shall tell you in due course. But first
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  Speaker 1: of all I must keep you in touch with some
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  Speaker 1: of the other factors in the situation. One of these,
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  Speaker 1: concerning which I have said little, is the escaped convict
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  Speaker 1: upon the moor. There is strong reason now to believe
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  Speaker 1: that he has got right away, which is a considerable
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  Speaker 1: relief to the lonely householders of this district. A fortnight
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  Speaker 1: has passed since his flight, during which he has not
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  Speaker 1: been seen, and nothing has been heard of him. It
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  Speaker 1: is surely inconceivable that he could have held out upon
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  Speaker 1: the moor during all that time. Of course, so far
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  Speaker 1: as his concealment goes, there is no difficulty at all.
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  Speaker 1: Any one of these stone huts would give him a
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  Speaker 1: hiding place, but there's nothing to eat unless he were
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  Speaker 1: to catch and slaughter one of the more sheep. We think,
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  Speaker 1: therefore that he's gone, and the outlying farmers sleep the better.
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  Speaker 1: In consequence, we are four able bodied men in this household,
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  Speaker 1: so that we could take good care of ourselves. But
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  Speaker 1: I confess that I have had uneasy moments when I
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  Speaker 1: have thought of the stapletons. They live miles from any help.
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  Speaker 1: There are one maid, an old man servant, the sister,
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  Speaker 1: and the brother, the latter not a very strong man.
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  Speaker 1: They would be helpless in the hands of a desperate
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  Speaker 1: fellow like this notting Hill criminal if he could once
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  Speaker 1: effect an entrance. Both Sir Henry and I were concerned
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  Speaker 1: at their situation, and it was suggested that Perkins the
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  Speaker 1: Groom should go over to sleep there, but Stapleton would
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  Speaker 1: not hear of it. The fact is that our friend
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  Speaker 1: the Baronet begins to display a considerable interest in our
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  Speaker 1: fair neighbor. It is not to be wondered at, for
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  Speaker 1: time hangs heavily in this lonely spot to an active
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  Speaker 1: man like him, and she is a very fascinating and
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  Speaker 1: beautiful woman. There is something tropical and exotic about her
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  Speaker 1: which forms a singular contrast to her cool and unemotional brother.
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  Speaker 1: Yet he also gives the idea of hidden fires. He
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  Speaker 1: has certainly a very marked influence over her, for I
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  Speaker 1: have seen her continually glance at him as she talked,
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  Speaker 1: as if seeking approbation for what she said. I trust
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  Speaker 1: that he is kind to her. There is a dry
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  Speaker 1: glitter in his eyes, and the firm set of his
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  Speaker 1: thin lips, which goes with a positive and possibly a
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  Speaker 1: hart harsh nature. You would find him an interesting study.
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  Speaker 1: He came over to call upon Baskerville on that first day,
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  Speaker 1: and the very next morning he took us both to
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  Speaker 1: show us the spot where the legend of the Wicked
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  Speaker 1: Hugo is supposed to have had its origin. It was
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  Speaker 1: an excursion of some miles across the moor to a
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  Speaker 1: place which is so dismal that it might have suggested
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  Speaker 1: the story. We found a short valley between rugged tours,
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  Speaker 1: which led to an open, grassy space flecked over with
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  Speaker 1: the white cotton grass. In the middle of it rose
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  Speaker 1: two great stones, worn and sharpened at the upper end
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  Speaker 1: until they looked like the huge, corroding fangs of some
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  Speaker 1: monstrous beast. In every way it corresponded with the scene
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  Speaker 1: of the old tragedy. Sir Henry was much interested and
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  Speaker 1: urked Stapleton more than once whether he did really believe
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  Speaker 1: in the possibility of the interference of the supernatural in
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  Speaker 1: the affairs of men. He spoke lightly, but it was
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  Speaker 1: evident that he was very much in earnest. Stapleton was
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  Speaker 1: guarded in his replies, but it was easy to see
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  Speaker 1: that he said less than he might, and that he
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  Speaker 1: would not express his whole opinion out of consideration for
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  Speaker 1: the feelings of the baronet. He told us of similar
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  Speaker 1: cases where families had suffered from some evil influence, and
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  Speaker 1: he left us with the impression that he shared the
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  Speaker 1: popular view upon the matter. On our way back, we
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  Speaker 1: stayed for lunch at Mery Pitt House, and it was
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  Speaker 1: there that Sir Henry made the acquaintance of Miss Stapleton.
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  Speaker 1: From the first moment that he saw her, he appeared
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  Speaker 1: to be strongly attracted by her, and I am much
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  Speaker 1: mistaken if the feeling was not mutual. He referred to
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  Speaker 1: her again and again on our walk home, and since
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  Speaker 1: then hardly a day has passed that we have not
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  Speaker 1: seen something of the brother and sister. They dine here
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  Speaker 1: to night, and there is some talk of our going
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  Speaker 1: to them next week. One would imagine that such a
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  Speaker 1: match will be very welcome to Stapleton, And yet I
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  Speaker 1: have more than once caught a look of the strongest
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  Speaker 1: disapprobation in his face. When Sir Henry has been paying
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  Speaker 1: some attention to his sister. He is much attached to her,
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  Speaker 1: no doubt, and would lead a lonely life without her.
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  Speaker 1: But it would seem the height of selfishness if he
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  Speaker 1: were to stand in the way of her making so
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  Speaker 1: brilliant a marriage. Yet I am certain that he does
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  Speaker 1: not wish their intimacy to ripen into love, and I
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  Speaker 1: have several times observed that he has taken pains to
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  Speaker 1: prevent them from being tete a tete. By the way,
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  Speaker 1: your instructions to me never to allow Sir Henry to
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  Speaker 1: go out alone, will become very much more onerous if
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  Speaker 1: a love affair were to be added to our other difficulties.
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  Speaker 1: My popularity would soon suffer if I were to carry
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  Speaker 1: out your orders to the letter. The other day, Thursday,
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  Speaker 1: to be more exact, Doctor Mortimer lunched with us. He
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  Speaker 1: has been excavating a barrow at long Down and has
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  Speaker 1: got a prehistoric skull, which fills him with great joy.
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  Speaker 1: Never was there such a single minded enthusiast as he.
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  Speaker 1: The Stapletons came in afterwards when the good Doctor took
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  Speaker 1: us all to the u alley at Sir Henry's request,
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  Speaker 1: to show us exactly how everything occurred upon that fatal night.
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  Speaker 1: It is a long dismal walk the u alley between
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  Speaker 1: two high walls of clipped hedge, with a narrow band
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  Speaker 1: of grass upon either side. At the far end is
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  Speaker 1: an old tumble down summer house. Halfway down is the
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  Speaker 1: moor gate where the old gentleman left his cigar ash.
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  Speaker 1: It is a white wooden gate with a latch. Beyond
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  Speaker 1: it lies the wide moor. I remembered your theory of
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  Speaker 1: the affair and tried to picture all that had occurred.
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  Speaker 1: As the old man stood there, he saw something coming
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  Speaker 1: across the moor, something which terrified him so that he
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  Speaker 1: lost his wits and ran and ran until he died
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  Speaker 1: of sheer horror and exhaustion. There was the long, gloomy
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  Speaker 1: tunnel down which he fled. And from what a sheep
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  Speaker 1: dog of the moor or a spectral hound, black, silent
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  Speaker 1: and monstrous? Was there a human agency in the matter?
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  Speaker 1: Did the pale, watchful barrymore know more than he cared
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  Speaker 1: to say? It was all dim and vague, but always
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  Speaker 1: there is the dark shadow of crime behind it. One
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  Speaker 1: other neighbor I've met since I wrote last this is
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  Speaker 1: mister Frankland of Laughter Hall, who lived some four miles
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  Speaker 1: to the south of us. He is an elderly man,
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  Speaker 1: red faced, white haired, and choleric. His passion is for
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  Speaker 1: the British law, and he has spent a large fortune
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  Speaker 1: in litigation. He fights for the mere pleasure of fighting,
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  Speaker 1: and is equally ready to take up either side of
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  Speaker 1: a question, so that it is no wonder that he
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  Speaker 1: has found it a mostly amusement. Sometimes he will shut
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  Speaker 1: up a right of way and defy the parish to
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  Speaker 1: make him open it. At others he will with his
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  Speaker 1: own hands tear down some other man's gait and declare
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  Speaker 1: that a path existed there from time immemorial, defying the
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  Speaker 1: owner to prosecute him for trespass. He is learned in
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  Speaker 1: old manorial and communal rights, and he applies his knowledge,
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  Speaker 1: sometimes in favor of the villagers of Fernworthy, and sometimes
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  Speaker 1: against them, so that he is periodically either carried in
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  Speaker 1: triumph down the village street, or else burned in effigy.
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  Speaker 1: According to his latest exploit, he is said to have
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  Speaker 1: about seven lawsuits upon his hands at present, which will
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  Speaker 1: probably swallow up the remainder of his fortune, and so
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  Speaker 1: draw his sting and leave him harmless for the future.
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  Speaker 1: Apart from the law, he seems a kindly good natured person,
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  Speaker 1: and I only mention him because you were particular that
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  Speaker 1: I should send some description of the people who surround us.
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  Speaker 1: He is curiously employed at present for being an amateur astronomer.
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  Speaker 1: He has an excellent telescope with which he lies upon
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  Speaker 1: the roof of his own house and sweeps the moor
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  Speaker 1: all day in the hope of catching a glimpse of
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  Speaker 1: the escaped Convict. If he would confine his energies to this,
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  Speaker 1: all would be well. But there are rumors that he
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  Speaker 1: intends to prosecute Doctor Mortimer for opening a grave without
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  Speaker 1: the consent of the next of kin because he dug
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  Speaker 1: up the neolithic skull in the barrow on long Down.
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  Speaker 1: He helps to keep our lives from being monotonous, and
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  Speaker 1: gives a little comic relief where it is badly needed.
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  Speaker 1: And now, having brought you up to date in the
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  Speaker 1: Escaped Convict, the Stapletons, Dr Mortimer and Franklin of lafter Hall,
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  Speaker 1: let me end on that which is most important, and
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  Speaker 1: tell you more about the Barrymores, and especially about the
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  Speaker 1: surprising development of last night night. First of all, about
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  Speaker 1: the test telegram which you sent from London in order
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  Speaker 1: to make sure that Barrymore was really here. I have
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  Speaker 1: already explained that the testimony of the postmaster shows that
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  Speaker 1: the test was worthless, and that we have no proof
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  Speaker 1: one way or the other. I told Sir Henry how
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  Speaker 1: the matter stood, and he at once, in his downright fashion,
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  Speaker 1: had Barrymore up and asked him whether he had received
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  Speaker 1: the telegram himself. Barrymore said that he had. Did the
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  Speaker 1: boy deliver it into your own hands, asked Sir Henry.
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  Speaker 1: Barrymore looked surprised and considered for a little time. No,
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  Speaker 1: said he He was in the box room at the time,
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  Speaker 1: and my wife brought it up to me. Did you
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  Speaker 1: answer it yourself? No? He told my wife what to answer,
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  Speaker 1: and she went down to write it. In the evening,
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  Speaker 1: he recurred to the subject of his own accord. Ay,
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  Speaker 1: could not quite understand the object of your questions this morning,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Henry said, he. I trust that they do not
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  Speaker 1: mean that I have done anything to forfeit your confidence.
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  Speaker 1: Sir Henry had to assure him that it was not so,
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  Speaker 1: and pacify him by giving him a considerable part of
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  Speaker 1: his old wardrobe. The London outfit having now all arrived,
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  Speaker 1: missus Barrymore is of interest to me. She is a heavy,
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  Speaker 1: solid person, very limited, intensely respectable, and inclined to be puritanical.
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  Speaker 1: You could hardly conceive a less emotional subject. Yet I
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  Speaker 1: have told you how on the first night here I
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  Speaker 1: heard her sobbing bitterly, and since then I have more
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  Speaker 1: than once observed traces of tears upon her face. Some
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  Speaker 1: deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart. Sometimes I wonder
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  Speaker 1: if she has a guilty memory which haunts her. And
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  Speaker 1: sometimes I suspect Barrymore of being a domestic tyrant. I
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  Speaker 1: have always felt that there was something singular and questionable
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  Speaker 1: in this man's character. But the adventure of last night
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  Speaker 1: brings all my suspicions to a head. And yet it
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  Speaker 1: may seem a small matter in itself. You are aware
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  Speaker 1: that I'm not very sound sleeper, and since I have
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  Speaker 1: been on guard in this house, my slumbers have been
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  Speaker 1: lighter than ever. Last night, about two in the morning,
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  Speaker 1: I was aroused by a stealthy step passing my room.
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  Speaker 1: I rose opened my door and peeped out. A long
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  Speaker 1: black shadow was trailing down the corridor. It was thrown
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  Speaker 1: by a man who walked softly down the passage with
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  Speaker 1: a candle held in his hand. He was in shirt
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  Speaker 1: and trousers, with no covering to his feet. I could
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  Speaker 1: merely see the outline, but his height told me that
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  Speaker 1: it was Barrymore. He walked very slowly and circumspectly, and
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  Speaker 1: there was something indescribably guilty and furtive in his whole appearance.
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  Speaker 1: I have told you that the corridor is broken by
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  Speaker 1: the balcony which runs round the hall, but that it
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  Speaker 1: is resumed upon the farther side. I waited until he
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  Speaker 1: had passed out of sight, and then I followed him.
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  Speaker 1: When I came round the balcony, he had reached the
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  Speaker 1: end of the farther corridor, and I could see from
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  Speaker 1: the glimmer of light through an open door, that he
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  Speaker 1: had entered one of the rooms. Now, all these rooms
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  Speaker 1: are unfurnished and unoccupied, so that his expedition became more
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  Speaker 1: mysterious than ever. The light shone steadily, as if he
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  Speaker 1: were standing motionless. I crept down the passage as noiselessly
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  Speaker 1: as I could, and peeped round the corner of the door.
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  Speaker 1: Barrymore was crouching at the window, with the candle held
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  Speaker 1: against the glass. His profile was half turned towards me,
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  Speaker 1: and his face seemed to be rigid with expectation as
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  Speaker 1: he stared out into the blackness of the moor. For
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  Speaker 1: some minutes, he stood watching intently. Then he gave a
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  Speaker 1: deep groan, and with an impatient gesture, he put out
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  Speaker 1: the light instantly. I made my way back to my room,
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  Speaker 1: and very shortly came the stealthy steps, passing once more
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  Speaker 1: upon their return journey. Long afterwards, when I had fallen
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  Speaker 1: into a light sleep, I heard a key turn somewhere
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  Speaker 1: in a lock, but I could not tell whence the
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  Speaker 1: sound came. What it all means I cannot guess. But
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  Speaker 1: there is some secret business going on in this house
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  Speaker 1: of Gloom, which sooner or later, we shall get to
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  Speaker 1: the bottom of. I do not trouble you with my theories,
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  Speaker 1: for he asked me to furnish you only with facts.
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  Speaker 1: I have had a long talk with Sir Henry this morning,
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  Speaker 1: and we have made a plan of campaign founded upon
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  Speaker 1: my observations of last night. I will not speak about
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  Speaker 1: it just now, but it should make my next report
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  Speaker 1: interesting reading. End of chapter eight