The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter 8; Qs. & Ans.

Topics on Chapter 8

Topic 1 : First Report of Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes about the romantic relationship between Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton.

ü Dr. Watson sends his first report to Sherlock Holmes about the developing romantic relationship between Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton.

ü Dr. Watson is not happy with this development between them because he is very much concerned about the safety of Sir Henry, who is already at risk there.

ü Sir Henry is really captivated by the beauty and charms of Miss Stapleton. According to Dr. Watson’s observations, it is Sir Henry’s being young and his loneliness at the Baskerville Hall which has made Sir Henry show a lot of interest in her.

ü Another thing that Dr. Watson notices is that there is a lot difference between the temperament of Mr. Stapleton and his so called sister.

ü Miss Stapleton also shows very much interest in Sir Henry Baskerville.

ü Another thing worth mentioning here is that Mr. Stapleton does not approve of such type of relationship. Watson has seen Stapleton feeling irritated whenever he found Sir Henry and his sister engaged in conversation.

Topic 2: Dr. Watson’s visit to the Yew Alley:

ü We come to know about Dr. Watson’s visit to Yew Alley Through his report sent to Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Mortimer, who had come to have lunch with Sir Henry and Dr. Watson, takes them to Yew Alley. They watch the place where Sir Charles had met with his tragic death.

ü The place seems to cast a shadow of gloom on the place as they walk through the passage that seemed to be like a tunnel because there were high walls of hedges on the both sides.

ü Dr. Watson observed very minutely the place where Sir Henry seemed to have been waiting for someone. He had dropped ashes from his cigar two times there.

ü It was the place where Sir Charles seemed to have seen something frightful coming towards him, which had made him run towards the moor.

ü Dr. Watson thinks that the terror and fatigue must have caused Sir Charles’ heart failure.

ü This visit makes Dr. Watson ponder over a few necessary points. He wonders as to what that ‘terrible’ object could be.  It could be a ‘sheep-dog’ of the moor or some phantom hound or something in human flesh and blood.

ü In this way, Dr. Watson’s visit to the Yew Alley proves to be very important. It makes his belief that there must be some human being causing danger to Sir Henry’s life. The same person also is responsible for Sir Charles’ tragic death.

ü Topic 3:

The reasons leading to Dr. Watson’s doubts on Mr. Barrymore:

ü Not only Doctor Watson, but Sherlock Holmes and even Sir Henry suspected on Mr. Barrymore at least up to the middle of the novel.

ü There were certain reasons for that. The first reason is that his face had also black beard on it like that of the man in the cab stalking Sir Henry in London.

ü The second reason is that Mr. Barrymore decides to leave Baskerville Hall at the arrival of Sir Henry there. He gives unsatisfying reasons for his decision.

ü The third reason which Makes Dr. Watson and even Sir Henry suspect him more strongly than before is that he tells lie about the woman who kept on sobbing the previous night while his wife’s eyes were red and swollen.

ü Dr. Watson also comes to know from the Grimpen postmaster that the telegramme was received by Mrs. Barrymore, not Mr. Barrymore.

ü Another reason that makes Sir Henry and Dr. Watson confident in their suspicion on him is that Barrymore was found walking at night with a burning candle in his hands and waving it to and fro in an empty room.

ü These are the reasons that make him a victim of suspicion.

                                                                                                                                                               

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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

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.