James, you delivered that telegram to Mr.Barrymore at the Hall last week, did you not ?" "Yes, father, I delivered it." "Into his own hands ?" I asked.
"Well, he was up in the loft at the time, so that I could not put it into his own hands, but I gave it into Mrs.Barrymore's hands, and she promised to deliver it at once." "Did you see Mr.Barrymore ?" "No, sir; I tell you he was in the loft." "If you didn't see him, how do you know he was in the loft ?" "Well, surely his own wife ought to know where he is," said the postmaster testily.

"Didn't he get the telegram?
If there is any mistake it is for Mr.Barrymore himself to complain." It seemed hopeless to pursue the inquiry any farther, but it was clear that in spite of Holmes's ruse we had no proof that Barrymore had not been in London all the time.

Suppose that it were so--suppose that the same man had been the last who had seen Sir Charles alive, and the first to dog the new heir when he returned to England.

What then?
Was he the agent of others or had he some sinister design of his own?
What interest could he have in persecuting the Baskerville family?
I thought of the strange warning clipped out of the leading article of the Times.

Was that his work or was it possibly the doing of someone who was bent upon counteracting his schemes?
The only conceivable motive was that which had been suggested by Sir Henry, that if the family could be scared away a comfortable and permanent home would be secured for the Barrymores.