The Hound of Baskervilles.
The case begins Tuesday, October 1, 1889.
Why?
MORTIMER’S TERM OF SERVICE AT CHARING CROSS:
"Mortimer, James, M.R.C.S., 1882, Grimpen, Dartmoor, Devon. House surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing Cross Hospital."
"And he left five years ago—the date is on the stick."
"Just under the head was a broad silver band, nearly an inch across. "To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.," was engraved upon it, with the date ‘1884.’"
"Mortimer, James, M.R.C.S., 1882, Grimpen, Dartmoor, Devon. House surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing Cross Hospital."
"And he left five years ago—the date is on the stick."
"Just under the head was a broad silver band, nearly an inch across. "To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.," was engraved upon it, with the date ‘1884.’"
THE DATE OF SIR CHARLES’S DEATH:
"This is the Devon County Chronicle of May 14th of this year. It is a short account of the facts elicited at the death of Sir Charles Baskerville which occurred a few days before that date."
"This is the Devon County Chronicle of May 14th of this year. It is a short account of the facts elicited at the death of Sir Charles Baskerville which occurred a few days before that date."
OUT OF THE COUNTRY IN MAY:
"I had observed some newspaper comment at the time, but I was exceedingly preoccupied by that little affair of the Vatican cameos, and in my anxiety to oblige the Pope I lost touch with several interesting English cases."
"I had observed some newspaper comment at the time, but I was exceedingly preoccupied by that little affair of the Vatican cameos, and in my anxiety to oblige the Pope I lost touch with several interesting English cases."
TIME PASSES IN LONDON:
"How long will it take you to make up your mind?"
"Twenty-four hours. At ten o’clock to-morrow, Dr. Mortimer, I will be much obliged to you if you will call upon me here, and it will be of help to me in my plans for the future if you will bring Sir Henry Baskerville with you."
"How long will it take you to make up your mind?"
"Twenty-four hours. At ten o’clock to-morrow, Dr. Mortimer, I will be much obliged to you if you will call upon me here, and it will be of help to me in my plans for the future if you will bring Sir Henry Baskerville with you."
ANOTHER PAST CASE:
"Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you? . . . I have some recollection, Wilson, that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright, who showed some ability during the investigation."
"Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you? . . . I have some recollection, Wilson, that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright, who showed some ability during the investigation."
DAY OF DEPARTURE FOR BASKERVILLE HALL:
"To go to Baskerville Hall."
"And when?"
"At the end of the week."
"Then on Saturday, unless you hear to the contrary, we shall meet at the ten-thirty train from Paddington."
"To go to Baskerville Hall."
"And when?"
"At the end of the week."
"Then on Saturday, unless you hear to the contrary, we shall meet at the ten-thirty train from Paddington."
AND THE TIME UNTIL THAT DEPARTURE:
"I have made some inquiries myself in the last few days . . ."
"I can swear to one thing, and that is that we have not been shadowed during the last two days."
"I have made some inquiries myself in the last few days . . ."
"I can swear to one thing, and that is that we have not been shadowed during the last two days."
A "MILVERTON" REARING HIS UGLY HEAD:
"At the present instant one of the most revered names in England is being besmirched by a blackmailer, and only I can stop a disastrous scandal."
"At the present instant one of the most revered names in England is being besmirched by a blackmailer, and only I can stop a disastrous scandal."
LENGTH OF TIME SELDEN HAD BEEN LOOSE WHEN WATSON ARRIVED:
"There’s a convict escaped from Princetown, sir. He’s been out three days now ..."
"There’s a convict escaped from Princetown, sir. He’s been out three days now ..."
THE DATE ON WATSON’S FIRST LETTER:
" October 13th"
" October 13th"
TIME SINCE SELDEN’S ESCAPE AT THAT WRITING:
"A fortnight has passed since his flight . . ."
"A fortnight has passed since his flight . . ."
THE DATE ON WATSON’S SECOND LETTER:
"Oct. 15th."
"Oct. 15th."
THE DINNER DATE DAY:
"We are to dine at Merripit House next Friday . . ."
"We are to dine at Merripit House next Friday . . ."
THE SEASON REITERATED:
"We hurried through the dark shrubbery, amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind and the rustle of the falling leaves."
"We hurried through the dark shrubbery, amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind and the rustle of the falling leaves."
THE CURRENT DATE:
The extract from my private diary which forms the last chapter has brought my narrative up to the eighteenth of October, a time when these strange events began to move swiftly towards their terrible conclusion.
The extract from my private diary which forms the last chapter has brought my narrative up to the eighteenth of October, a time when these strange events began to move swiftly towards their terrible conclusion.
AFTER THE CASE:
"It was the end of November, and Holmes and I sat, upon a raw and foggy night, on either side of a blazing fire in our sitting-room in Baker Street. Since the tragic upshot of our visit to Devonshire he had been engaged in two affairs of the utmost importance, in the first of which he had exposed the atrocious conduct of Colonel Upwood in connection with the famous card scandal of the Nonpareil Club, while in the second he had defended the unfortunate Mme. Montpensier from the charge of murder which hung over her in connection with the death of her step-daughter, Mlle. Carere, the young lady who, as it will be remembered, was found six months later alive and married in New York."
"It was the end of November, and Holmes and I sat, upon a raw and foggy night, on either side of a blazing fire in our sitting-room in Baker Street. Since the tragic upshot of our visit to Devonshire he had been engaged in two affairs of the utmost importance, in the first of which he had exposed the atrocious conduct of Colonel Upwood in connection with the famous card scandal of the Nonpareil Club, while in the second he had defended the unfortunate Mme. Montpensier from the charge of murder which hung over her in connection with the death of her step-daughter, Mlle. Carere, the young lady who, as it will be remembered, was found six months later alive and married in New York."
WHAT THE BARING-GOULD ANNOTATED SAYS:
September 25, 1888.
September 25, 1888.
WHAT ZEISLER, THE KING OF CHRONOLOGY, SAYS:
September 25, 1900.
September 25, 1900.
THE BIRLSTONE RAILWAY TIMETABLE:
The math on this one seems pretty straightforward: 1884 plus "five years ago" gives you 1889. October 15 minus a fortnight, plus three days (courtesy of Watson’s diary and the convict escape references), rounding it to a nearby Saturday for the train trip to Dartmoor, and you get October 5 for the travel day. Subtract two days without anyone following Sir Henry, back up one day to the day they were followed, and back up one more day to Mortimer’s visit with Holmes and Watson . . . the result?
The math on this one seems pretty straightforward: 1884 plus "five years ago" gives you 1889. October 15 minus a fortnight, plus three days (courtesy of Watson’s diary and the convict escape references), rounding it to a nearby Saturday for the train trip to Dartmoor, and you get October 5 for the travel day. Subtract two days without anyone following Sir Henry, back up one day to the day they were followed, and back up one more day to Mortimer’s visit with Holmes and Watson . . . the result?
Tuesday, October 1, 1889.
Baring-Gould once went with that same date, but the "What about Watson’s marriage?" crowd pressured him into a change of heart. Given Watson’s marital track record as we’ve seen it thus far, however, I’d hate to discount anything as plain as the above mathematics for the sake of domestic bliss that may in doubt anyway. Tuesday, October 1, 1889, it is!
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