Baskerville Hall Dartmoor
15 October 1889
My Dear Holmes,
I am now able to answer the question at the end of my last letter. I know why Barrymore signalled with a candle.
First, let me tell you about Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton. I told you that they are very friendly. I have found out that Sir Henry is in love with her. The truth is he wants to marry her.
Yesterday morning he said to me, 'I am going to see Miss Stapleton. I want to go alone.'
'But Mr Holmes told me to stay with you,' I said. 'You must not go across the moor on your own.'
'I shall go alone,' said Sir Henry, and he went out.
I did not know what to do. I waited for ten minutes, then I decided to follow him. I did not see everything, but this is what happened.
Sir Henry met Miss Stapleton on the moor. He asked her to marry him - he told me this afterwards. They walked towards Merripit House to see Mr Stapleton. They met him outside the house. Sir Henry told Stapleton the news.
I reached High Tor before Sir Henry met Stapleton, so I saw what happened next. I saw Sir Henry talking to Stapleton. Suddenly Stapleton became wild and angry. He shouted at Sir Henry. Then he took his sister's hand and pulled her towards Merripit House.
Sir Henry turned away and walked back towards the Hall. He saw me by High Tor. He was not angry that I had followed him.
'Watson,' he said, 'that man is mad. I told him that I want to marry his sister. He shouted at me. He told me never to see her again. I think he is mad.'
I said nothing and we walked back to the Hall. That afternoon, Stapleton came to the Hall. He wanted to speak to Sir Henry. He kept saying, 'I am sorry. I was very rude.' Then he invited Sir Henry to dinner at Merripit House on Friday night.
Now I will tell you the story of Barrymore. I told Sir Henry that I had seen Barrymore signal with a candle. Sir Henry said, 'We will wait for him tonight. If he signals again, we will catch him.'
Sir Henry and I did not go to bed. We sat waiting in Sir Henry's study until two o'clock in the morning. Then we heard footsteps outside the study. We listened. The footsteps went upstairs.
Sir Henry and I waited for two more minutes. Then we opened the door quietly, and went upstairs. We saw Barrymore by the large window at the end of the corridor. He had a candle in his hand and he was waving the candle in front of the window.
'What are you doing, Barrymore?' Sir Henry shouted.