The Hound of the Baskervilles; Chapter 7: Qs. & Ans.

Topics on Chapter 7

Topic 1 :The incidents leading to Dr.  Watson’s Suspicion about Stapleton

ü  Sherlock Holmes had already instructed Dr. Watson to remain very much alert at Baskerville Hall as there was danger to Sir Henry’s life.

ü  So Dr. Watson tried to study each and every thing there during his stay. He also wanted to show to Sherlock Holmes that he was also a very alert detctive.

ü  Much of his suspicion was focussed on Barimore couple.

ü  At the breakfast time, Barrimore was called by Sir Henry to explain as to who could be the woman that kept on sobbing the previous night.

ü  Barrimore showed his ignorance to it, Dr. Watson’s sharp eyes were able to see Mrs. Barrimore’s wife’s red and swollen eyes.

It confirmed the fact it was she who was sobbing and weeping last.

ü  After that, Dr. watson went to meet the Grimpen post master to clarify from him whether the test telegramme was received by Mr. Barrimore or someone else at the Baskerville Hall.

ü  The postmaster told him that it was Mrs. Barrimore who had actually recived the telegramme saying that her husband was upstairs.

ü  Thus, Sherlock Holmes was unable to find out whether Barrimore was in London on the day when Sir Henry was being spied by the man in the cab having black beard like that of Mr. Barrimore.

ü  In this way, Dr. Watson’s doubts about Barrimore couple were strenthened.

Topic 2  Watson’s doubts on Stapleton:

ü  Dr. Watson has reasons for doubting Stapleton. He shows extra concern in the case of Sir Charles’s death. He also wants to know from Dr. Watson much very about Sir Henry.

ü  He is very curious to know about the course of action Sherlock Holmes is going to take in his investigations about the causes of Sir Charles death. He alos offers his help in the case.

ü  Stapleton becomes so much informal with Dr. Watson in his first meeting with him that he also invites him to visit Meripit House.

ü  Dr. watson accepts the invitation because he wanted to know much about the place as wellas Stapleton and his sister.

ü  During the conversation, Stapleton also warns Watson about the hdden dangers of the Moor, so he warns the detective against moving here and there on the Moor.

ü  Stapleton does not forget to hint at the superstition of the curse on the Baskervilles. He aslo wants to confirm from Watson if Sir Henry believes in superstions or not.

ü  He also talks as to how the family curse of the hound had affected Sir Charles’ already weak heart. Stapleton firmly adds that Sir Charles must have seen something dangerous on that fateful night. It had caused his tragic death.

ü  As Stapleton runs after a moth or a butterfly, Miss Stapleton arrives there. She mistook Dr. watson for Sir Henry. Without mincining any word, she warns Watson to leave the place at once for safety reasons.

Topic 3.  Meeting between Watson and Miss Stapleton

ü  In the chapter 7, two meetings take place between Dr. watson and Miss Stapleton. First, he meets her when she appears all of a sudden in front of him as Stapleton runs after a moth or a butterfly. She mistakes him for Sir Henry and without making any formality, she tells him to leave Baskerville Hall at once. She also advises him not to say anything about it to her brother Stapleton. He was coming towards them.

ü  When Stapleton calls Dr. Watrson by name, then she realises her mistake of misidentifying him.

ü  After that, Dr. Watson leaves Meripit House to reach Baskerville Hall. But then Miss Stapleton finds time to secretly meet Dr. Watson. She comes behind him tells him that her warning was meant for Sir Henry, not him. She requests Watson to persuade Sir Henry to leave the Moor and return to London as there was danger to his life there.

ü  Again she requests Dr. Watson to keep it as secret from her brother that she had said anything to him.

ü  Thus we see that these two meetings between Dr. Watson are very much important for Sherlock Holmes. It also helps Dr. Watson to reach the conclusion that there was solid reason behind Miss Stapleton’s hiding of what she had said to Dr. Watson.

Topic 4. Mysteries of the Moor highlighted by Stapleton.

ü  Stapleton tells Dr.Watson about the beauty as well as the hidden dangers of the moor.

ü  If he calls it ‘a wonderful place’, he also calls it ‘barren and mysterious.’  While telling about Grimpen Mire, Stapleton tells Dr. Watson that ‘a false step yonder means death to man or beast.’

ü  Then he refers to the hills and calls them islands cut off on all sides, but he appreciates them for the rare species of plants and butterflies.

ü  The deep moaning sound heard by Dr. watson also adds to the grim and mysterious atmosphere of the place.

ü  Stapleton interprets this as the call given by the hound of Baskervilles for prey. Stapleton also points towards a hillside and calls it the home of Prehistoric man.

ü  In this way, Stapleton’s purpose of filling a sense of chill and fear in Dr. Watson’s mind becomes clear. He wants to scare the detective so that he fails in his mission and leave the place in in fright.

ü  But the irony is that it is Stapleton who meets his death in the end as he fall into the mire and is swallowed by it. His warning that ‘a false step yonder means death to man or beast’ proves true on him.

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The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 7

The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 7

1.   It is a beautiful sunny morning that makes Dr. Watson and Sir Henry forget something about the sad experiences of the previous day. Both of them were at the breakfast table.

2.   Dr. Watson could not help talking about the sobbing of a woman heard by them the previous night.

3.   Barrymore was called for explain about the woman’s sobbing at night. But he said there were only two women there. One was his wife and he told them that it was not his wife who could have sobbed at night.

4.   But Dr. Watson happened to meet Mrs. Barrymore after breakfast. He found that the lids of her eyes were red and swollen. It proved that Barrymore had told a lie.

5.   Now Watson was thinking about the reason that made Barrymore tell a lie. Why did his wife keep weeping? Several doubts come in Watson’s mind. It was Barrymore who had first to discover the dead body of Sir Charles. He compared the man in the cab with Barrymore. His face and dark beard were giving the impression of the man in the cab tracking Sir Henry.

6.   Then Dr. Watson went to meet the Grimpen postmaster to ascertain whether the test telegramme was received by Barrymore himself or by someone else. The postmaster told Dr. Watson that the telegramme was received by his wife, not by Barrymore. She told the postmaster’s boy that he was upstairs.

7.   Thus Dr. Watson could not reach the point as to where Barrymore was on the day when Sir Henry was being tracked. It was the postmaster’s fault who could not ensure the delivery of the telegramme in the right person’s hands.

8.   Several other burdensome thoughts about the case kept hovering Watson’s mind. So he yearned for the return of Sherlock Holmes so that he could handle that complex case in his own way. Page 79

9.   As Dr Watson was praying for the presence of Sherlock Holmes, his thoughts were interupted by the sound of running feet which he heard coming from behind. He had expected to see Dr. Mortimer, but he saw a man of between 30 to 40 years of age having a small and slim staure with careful and clean shaven face. He was dressed in gray suit and putting on a straw hat on his head.

10.                     He introduced himself as Stapleton of Meripit House and a mutual friend of Sir Charles and Dr. Mortimer. He was carrying a box hung over his shoulder and a green buterfly net in one of his hands. It may tell about the nature of his job.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 6 : Qs. & Ans.

The Hound of the Baskervilles  Chapter 6

Topic 1

Instruction given to Watson by Sherlock Holmes

ü  Sherlock Holmes is a shrewd investigator who studies the situation very minutely to reach some logical conclusion.

ü  Therefore he does not allow Sir Henry to go to Baskerville Hall unguarded. He deputes Watson to accompany him and also remain there with Sir Henry for a few days.

ü  Sherlock Holmes issues some instructions to Watson. He advises him to remain vigilant and cautious about Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore. He also adds some more names like Stapleton and his wife, Dr. Mortimer and his wife, Mr. Frankland of Lafter Hall and also the servants of the Baskerville Hall.

ü  Surprisingly, he ignores Mr. James Desmond, the next heir to the Baskerville Estate.

ü  Finally, he advises him to keep his revolver with him for 24 hours.

ü  Sherlock Holmes tells Watson to send him the updates of the present situation in real terms and the rest he would efficiently handle.

ü  In this way Sherlock proves to be very vigilant professional in the field of crime investigation. He foresees the coming dangers to  Sir Henry Baskerville and does everything  to provide him protection.

Topic 2 The description of the Baskerville Hall

ü  Baskerville Hall is a huge mansion, giving shade of gloom and somber atmosphere around itself.

ü  It has big iron gates with massive pillars on both sides. The heads of boars are placed on the pillars. Some portion of the building is in bad shape. That’s why Sir Charles had ordered construction work on it.

ü  The passage that led to the main part has old trees on both sides. They make a canopy-like look above the passage that looks like a tunnel.

ü  The inside of the building seems to be fine but not so much modern. There is a fire-place of the ancient type in there.

ü  Sir Henry also notices high windows fitted with old stained glass. The arms and the heads of the hunted animals like stags were beautifully fixed to beautify the walls.

ü  The central part of the house is not so much decorated as the bedrooms are. The portraits hung on the walls of the dining room cast a shadow of gloom over living beings of the house.

Topic 3 Reasons given by Barrymore for leaving Baskerville Hall

ü  We know that Sherlock Holmes has already some reasons for doubting Barrymore as he has some resemblance with the person who was tracking Sir Henry while sitting in a cab.

ü  So Barrymore’s decision to leave Baskerville Hall increases doubt in the minds of Sherlock Holmes, Watson, Sir Henry and the reader also.

ü  He puts forward some reasons for it.

ü  He says that Sir Henry is a young man and would like to enjoy the company of his people. So he might like to keep new servants in the house, suiting to his lifestyle.

ü  The death of Sir Charles seemed to give them a shock as they were very much attached to him. Sir Charles had also allotted them some amount in his will. They feel very much obliged to him.

ü  He says that his old master lived a very simple life and they would also prefer such life to live in some solitude and peaceful atmosphere.

ü  There may be another reason that Barrymore could not explain. He was worried about the way and the conditions under which Sir Charles had died.

ü  His own brother-in-law Seldom might be the cause of the Barrymore couple.