At first Stapleton wanted her to marry Sir Charles or Sir Henry. that was a way of getting the money.
What an evil man! I said. But she did not want to help Stapleton. She tried to warn both of them didn' t she?
Yes she tried to meet Sir Charles the night he died. But Stapleton found out. Stapleton waited for Sir Charles and frightened him to death with the black dog. Also Mrs Stapleton sent the note to Sir Henry at the Northumberland Hotel. Then Sir Henry fell in love with Mrs Stapleton so Stapleton was worried and angry. At last Stapleton had to tir her up to stop her telling Sir Henry.
' And Stapletton was the man with the black beard?'
'Yes, he tried to hide his face. He put on a beard when he followed Sir Henry in London.'
'What about the missing boots?'I asked.
'The dog and the boots go together,' Holmes said. 'Stapleton knew the silly story about the Hound of the Baskervilles. And he knew that Sir Charles believed the story. So, Stapleton bought that huge black dog and let it walk on the moor at night.'
'But the boots,' I said. 'What about the stolen boots?'
'Watson, You are very slow,' said Holmes. 'It was a hunting dog. Hunting dogs will follow a smell. Stapleton wanted some of Sir Henry's clothes to give to the dog. He paid a waiter at the hotel to steal the boots. But the first boot did not work because it was new. It did not have Sir Henry's smell. Then,remember,the dog hunted Selden because Selden was wearing Sir Henry's old clothes.'
'what a strange story,' I said. 'Stapleton was clever.'
'Yes, my dear Watson,' said Holmes. 'I needed your help to catch him. Now, why don't you write about it? perhaps you can call your story The Case of the stolen Boot?