it assumes some importance in view of the tragedy which followed,
but I was convinced at the time that the matter was entirely
trivial and that his excitement had no justification.

"It was at my advice that Sir Charles was about to go to London.
His heart was, I knew, affected, and the constant anxiety in
which he lived, however chimerical the cause of it might be,
was evidently having a serious effect upon his health. I thought
that a few months among the distractions of town would send him
back a new man. Mr. Stapleton, a mutual friend who was much
concerned at his state of health, was of the same opinion. At
the last instant came this terrible catastrophe.

"On the night of Sir Charles's death Barrymore the butler, who
made the discovery, sent Perkins the groom on horseback to me,
and as I was sitting up late I was able to reach Baskerville
Hall within an hour of the event. I checked and corroborated
all the facts which were mentioned at the inquest. I followed
the footsteps down the yew alley, I saw the spot at the moor-gate
where he seemed to have waited, I remarked the change in the shape
of the prints after that point, I noted that there were no other
footsteps save those of Barrymore on the soft gravel, and finally
I carefully examined the body, which had not been touched until
my arrival. Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers
dug into the ground, and his features convulsed with some strong
emotion to such an extent that I could hardly have sworn to his
identity. There was certainly no physical injury of any kind.
But one false statement was made by Barrymore at the inquest.
He said that there were no traces upon the ground round the body.
He did not observe any. But I did--some little distance off, but