The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 15 Summary

Summary

It is the end of November and Holmes and Watson sit by a Baker Street fire; Holmes, having recently closed two other important cases, agrees to recount the full course of the Baskerville affair. He begins by tracing Stapleton’s origins: the man is the son of Rodger Baskerville, who left for South America, married a Costa Rican woman (Beryl Garcia) and later assumed the name Vandeleur, then Stapleton, after scandal and a failed school. Holmes establishes Stapleton as an entomologist and former Yorkshire schoolmaster whose knowledge of the Grimpen Mire and of local conditions enables his plan.

Holmes then reconstructs Stapleton’s plot in order. The man ingratiates himself with Sir Charles, learns of the family curse, acquires a fierce dog in London, kennels it near the Grimpen Mire, and paints it to appear supernatural. When Sir Charles is decoyed toward a yew alley by a letter contrived by Stapleton and written through the manipulation of Mrs. Laura Lyons, the hound pursues and the terrified baronet dies of heart disease. Holmes describes Stapleton’s subsequent maneuvering when Sir Henry arrives: imprisonment of his own wife (as his “sister”), efforts to obtain an item of Sir Henry’s clothing to use as scent, attempts to move against Sir Henry in London, and the likelihood of an accomplice who tended the dog (Anthony). Holmes explains his own covert surveillance on the moor with Cartwright and why they had to bait Stapleton into being caught red-handed, at cost of exposing Sir Henry to a terrifying encounter. Finally Holmes outlines Mrs. Stapleton’s ambiguous position—controlled by fear or love, complicit to a point but ultimately turning against her husband—and admits that, while the legal future of Stapleton’s claim to the estate is speculative, he had likely prepared multiple schemes to secure the property.

Key events

1. Holmes traces Stapleton’s family origin and name changes (Vandeleur → Stapleton).
2. Stapleton buys a powerful dog, keeps it near the Grimpen Mire, and paints it to look demonic.
3. Stapleton manipulates Mrs. Laura Lyons to lure Sir Charles and the hound causes his death.
4. Stapleton imprisons his wife as a ‘sister’ and plans to use Sir Henry’s clothing as scent.
5. Holmes reveals he secretly watched Stapleton on the moor with Cartwright and arranged bait to catch him.

Analysis

This chapter functions as the novel’s explanatory dénouement: Holmes steps out of Watson’s step-by-step reportage to offer a wide-angle reconstruction that ties disparate clues into a coherent scheme. The retrospective clarifies motive (inheritance), means (a trained, painted hound and exploitation of legend), and opportunity (local knowledge of the mire and social access to Sir Charles and Sir Henry). Structurally, it shifts narrative authority back to Holmes’ deductive voice and resolves uncertainties without reliving the detection scene in full, which preserves tension about legal proof and moral consequences. The chapter also underscores recurring themes: rational investigation versus superstition (the painted dog unmasking the “curse”), the use and abuse of female agency (Beryl Stapleton’s coerced complicity; Laura Lyons’ manipulation), and the costs of detection (Sir Henry’s shock and Watson’s implied regret). Symbolically, the Grimpen Mire and the hound stand for hidden, primeval forces that the modern detective must map and control; Stapleton’s double identity (Vandeleur/Stapleton) embodies the novel’s interest in hidden lineage and social masquerade. Holmes’s admission that he deliberately deceived Watson to watch Stapleton reveals narrative technique: retrospective reconstruction allows the detective to be omniscient and pedagogic, but it also acknowledges the ethical and emotional costs of arranging dangerous encounters to secure proof.

Important quotes

““The whole course of events,” said Holmes, “from the point of view of the man who called himself Stapleton was simple and direct, although to us, who had no means in the beginning of knowing the motives of his actions and could only learn part of the facts, it all appeared exceedingly complex.””

Sherlock HolmesHolmes introduces his retrospective reconstruction, warning that his view rationalizes the apparent complexity by revealing Stapleton’s motive and method.

“It was my game to watch Stapleton.”

Sherlock HolmesHolmes explains that he secretly observed Stapleton on the moor (with Cartwright’s help) rather than accompanying Watson, revealing his covert strategy.

“The beast was savage and half-starved.”

Sherlock HolmesHolmes describes the dog Stapleton bought and trained, emphasizing its physical terrorizing power and purpose in the scheme.

Characters in Chapter 15

• Dr. John Watson
• Sherlock Holmes
• Jack Stapleton
• Beryl Stapleton
• Sir Charles Baskerville
• Sir Henry Baskerville
• Dr. James Mortimer
• Laura Lyons
• Selden
• The Hound
• Cartwright
• Mrs. Barrymore
• Mr. Barrymore
• Mr. Frankland
• Inspector Lestrade
• Anthony
• Mlle. Carére
• Mme. Montpensier