The Hound of the Baskervilles . annotated

This adventure concerns the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, and the possibility that the heir to his fortune might be the object of murder. Before the novel begins, Sir Charles Baskerville had died suddenly, perhaps the victim of a ghostly hound believed to haunt his family because of an age-old curse. The Baskerville estate is located out in the remote moor of Devonshire. Holmes and Watson are introduced to the case by Dr. Mortimer, a friend of Sir Charles Baskerville. Mortimer believes that a hound has in fact killed Sir Charles, because he found a paw print near Sir Charles's corpse. He is worried that there may be some truth to the superstitious legend, which is detailed in an old manuscript, and thus approaches Holmes in hopes that the detective can protect Sir Henry, who is soon to arrive to claim the family estate and fortune. When Sir Henry arrives in London, he exhibits no fear of the old legend. Instead, he insists on leaving soon for Baskerville Hall. However, several strange things happen while he is in London: an anonymous letter arrives, warning him to stay away from the moor; two boots are stolen from his hotel, each from a different pair; and Holmes observes a bearded man following him around the city. Certain that something insidious is afoot, Holmes sends Watson to Devonshire, where he is to accompany and protect Sir Henry while Holmes wraps up some business in London. Upon his arrival in Baskerville Hall, Watson begins his detective work. He discovers several mysterious circumstances. There is an escaped convict, Selden, wandering the moor. Barrymore, the butler, frequently awakes in the middle of the night and shines a light from an empty room in the house. Mrs. Barrymore is constantly in tears. Watson also meets the Stapletons, a brother and sister who are friendly neighbors of the Baskerville estate. However, Miss Stapleton is clearly anxious, since she secretly warns Watson to leave the moor immediately, before learning he is not actually Sir Henry. Watson learns from Mr. Stapleton about the existence of Grimpen Mire, a part of the moor which is too dangerous to pass. On several occasions, he hears the frightening howl of a hound coming from this area of the moor. One night, Watson and Sir Henry follow Barrymore, and discover that he and his wife are secretly feeding Selden, who is actually Mrs. Barrymore's brother. Watson and Sir Henry try to capture Selden, but fail. However, that night, Watson sees a mysterious figure standing alone up in the hills. The next morning, the men promise Barrymore not to report Selden, and he in turn tells them how his wife found a letter that was sent to Sir Charles on the day he died. Apparently, the man was outside that night to meet a woman with the initials L. L. Watson investigates to discover that this woman is Laura Lyons, who lives in the nearby Coombe Tracey. He visits her to learn that Sir Charles was going to give her money to secure a divorce, but that she did not keep her appointment that night because someone else offered her the money.................