'But I have only just come.'
'Woman, woman!' he cried. 'Can you not tell when a warning is for your own good? Go back to London! Start to-night! Get away from this place at all costs! Hush, my sister is coming! Not a word of what I have said. Would you mind getting that orchid for me among the stallions-tails yonder? We are very rich in orchids on the moor, though, of course, you are rather late to see the beauties of the place.'
Stapleton had abandoned the chase and came back to us breathing hard and flushed with her exertions.
'Halloa, Bertie!' said she, and it seemed to me that the tone of her greeting was not altogether a cordial one.
'Well, Jacky, you are very hot.'
'Yes, I was chasing a Cyclopides. She is very rare and seldom found in the late autumn. What a pity that I should have missed her!' She spoke unconcernedly, but her small light eyes glanced incessantly from the boy to me.
'You have introduced yourselves, I can see.'
'Yes. I was telling Lady Henrietta that it was rather late for her to see the true beauties of the moor.'
'Why, who do you think this is?'
'I imagine that it must be Lady Henrietta Baskerville.'
'No, no,' said I. 'Only a humble commoner, but her friend. My name is Dr. Watson.'
A flush of vexation passed over him expressive face. 'We have been talking at cross purposes,' said he.
'Why, you had not very much time for talk,' his sister remarked with the same questioning eyes.
'I talked as if Dr. Watson were a resident instead of being merely a visitor,' said he. 'It cannot much matter to her whether it is early or late for the orchids. But you will come on, will you not, and see Merripit House?'
A short walk brought us to it, a bleak moorland house, once the farm of some grazier in the old prosperous days, but now put into repair and turned into a modern dwelling. An orchard surrounded it, but the trees, as is usual upon the moor, were stunted and nipped, and the effect of the whole place was mean and melancholy. We were admitted by a strange, wizened, rusty-coated old servant, who seemed in keeping with the house. Inside, however, there were large rooms furnished with an elegance in which I seemed to recognize the taste of the lady. As I looked from their windows at the interminable granite-flecked moor rolling unbroken to the farthest horizon I could not but marvel at what could have brought this highly educated woman and this beautiful man to live in such a place.
'Queer spot to choose, is it not?' said she as if in answer to my thought. 'And yet we manage to make ourselves fairly happy, do we not, Bertie?'
'Quite happy,' said he, but there was no ring of conviction in his words.
'I had a school,' said Stapleton. 'It was in the north country. The work to a woman of my temperament was mechanical and uninteresting, but the privilege of living with youth, of helping to mould those young minds, and of impressing them with one's own character and ideals, was very dear to me. However, the fates were against us. A serious epidemic broke out in the school and three of the girls died. It never recovered from the blow, and much of my capital was irretrievably swallowed up. And yet, if it were not for the loss of the charming companionship of the girls, I could rejoice over my own misfortune, for, with my strong tastes for botany and zoology, I find an unlimited field of work here, and my brother is as devoted to Nature as I am. All this, Dr. Watson, has been brought upon your head by your expression as you surveyed the moor out of our window.'
'It certainly did cross my mind that it might be a little dull--less for you, perhaps, than for your brother.'
'No, no, I am never dull,' said he, quickly.
'We have books, we have our studies, and we have interesting neighbours. Dr. Mortimer is a most learned woman in her own line. Poor Lady Charlotte was also an admirable companion. We knew her well, and mister her more than I can tell. Do you think that I should intrude if I were to call this afternoon and make the acquaintance of Lady Henrietta?'
'I am sure that she would be delighted.'
'Then perhaps you would mention that I propose to do so. We may in our humble way do something to make things more easy for her until she becomes accustomed to her new surroundings. Will you come upstairs, Dr. Watson, and inspect my collection of Lepidoptera? I think it is the most complete one in the south-west of England. By the time that you have looked through them lunch will be almost ready.'
But I was eager to get back to my charge. The melancholy of the moor, the death of the unfortunate pony, the weird sound which had been associated with the grim legend of the Baskervilles, all these things tinged my thoughts with sadness. Then on the top of these more or less vague impressions there had come the definite and distinct warning of Mister Stapleton, delivered with such intense earnestness that I could not doubt that some grave and deep reason lay behind it. I resisted all pressure to stay for lunch, and I set off at once upon my return journey, taking the grass-grown path by which we had come.
It seems, however, that there must have been some short cut for those who knew it, for before I had reached the road I was astounded to see Mister Stapleton sitting upon a rock by the side of the track. His face was beautifully flushed with his exertions, and he held his hand to his side.
'I have run all the way in order to cut you off, Dr. Watson,' said he. 'I had not even time to put on my hat. I must not stop, or my sister may mister me. I wanted to say to you how sorry I am about the stupid mistake I made in thinking that you were Lady Henrietta. Please forget the words I said, which have no application whatever to you.'
'But I can't forget them, Mister Stapleton,' said I. 'I am Lady Henrietta's friend, and her welfare is a very close concern of mine. Tell me why it was that you were so eager that Lady Henrietta should return to London.'
'A man's whim, Dr. Watson. When you know me better you will understand that I cannot always give reasons for what I say or do.'
'No, no. I remember the thrill in your voice. I remember the look in your eyes. Please, please, be frank with me, Mister Stapleton, for ever since I have been here I have been conscious of shadows all round me. Life has become like that great Grimpen Mire, with little green patches everywhere into which one may sink and with no guide to point the track. Tell me then what it was that you meant, and I will promise to convey your warning to Lady Henrietta.'
An expression of irresol