The Stapletons of Merripit house

Chapter 8
The Stapletons of Merripit house
As we ate breakfast the next day,the morning sunlight coming into the room made us feel much better. The place did not look so bad and dark.
"I guess we should blame ourselves,not the house," sir Henry said to me.
"We were tired and cold from traveling so we found the place frightening. Today every thing look cheerful."
After breakfast I walked four miles to the village of grimpen.
Sir Henry had a lot of paperwork so he stayed behind.
After I passed Dr. mortimer house I heard someone running and calling my name. When I turned around I was surprised to see a stranger instead of the doctor. It was a small, slim man in his thirties with blond hair. He carried a butterfly net.
"Excuse me, Dr. Watson,if I introduce myself,"he said. "I am stapleton of merripit house. Dr. Mortimer told me who you are. Here on the moor we all know one another. I hope sir Henry's feeling well after the journy."
"He's very well,thank you."
"we were all afraid that after sir charles's sad death he wouldn't come and live here. You may know the baskerville legend about the hound. Sir charles believed in the story and it made him very nervous. That's why he died,I'm sure."
As we ate breakfast the next day,the morning sunlight coming into the room made us feel much better. The place did not look so bad and dark.
"I guess we should blame ourselves,not the house," sir Henry said to me.
"We were tired and cold from traveling so we found the place frightening. Today every thing look cheerful."
After breakfast I walked four miles to the village of grimpen.
Sir Henry had a lot of paperwork so he stayed behind.
After I passed Dr. mortimer house I heard someone running and calling my name. When I turned around I was surprised to see a stranger instead of the doctor. It was a small, slim man in his thirties with blond hair. He carried a butterfly net.
"Excuse me, Dr. Watson,if I introduce myself,"he said. "I am stapleton of merripit house. Dr. Mortimer told me who you are. Here on the moor we all know one another. I hope sir Henry's feeling well after the journy."
"He's very well,thank you."
"we were all afraid that after sir charles's sad death he wouldn't come and live here. You may know the baskerville legend about the hound. Sir charles believed in the story and it made him very nervous. That's why he died,I'm sure."
"You think that some dog ran after sir sharker and he died of fright?"
"Probably. What does Mr. Sherlock Holmes say?"
surprised, I did not answer.
"We have of course heard about you both, Dr. Watson." stapleton said. "Is Mr. Holmes coming to visit too?"
"He can't leave the town right now.He's too busy."
"What a pity! Bur if I can help you in your work, pleas tell me."
"I'm just here to visit sir Henry, and don't need any help."
"Naturally," he said. "You are right to be careful. I will not mention the matter again."
A narrow, grassy path led off the road across the moor.
"A short walk will take us to Merripit House," he said. "If you have time, I'll introduce you to my sister."
As Holmes had told me to studt the neighbors, I agreed to go with Stapleton.
"It's a wonderful place, the moor," he said, "such wonderful secrets. It's so large and so mysterious."
"You know it well, then?"
"I've only been here two years, but few men know it better than I do."
"Is it hard to know?"
"Very hard, You see this great plain to the north with the bright green spots. It is the Grimpen Mire, a a dangerous bog, especially after these rains. One wrong step there means death. Yesterday a moor pony went in and never got out, Even in dry times it's dangerous, but after these rains it's an awful place.
Still I can find my way to the middle and come back alive. It's a bad place' the Grimpen Mire.
"But why would you want to go there?"
"You see those hills over there? They are like islands in the mud. That is where the rare plants and vutterflies are, if you can get to them. Suddenly a long, low moaning sound came over the moor. First it was soft, then it turned into a deep roar, and then became a sad, low noise again.
"What's that?" I asked.
"The farmers say it's the Hound of the Baskervilles. I've heard ir once or twice before, but not so loud."
I looked at the huge plain of the moor with fear in my heart, but nothing moved there except a pair of ravens.
"You're an educated man, You surely don't believe such nonsense," I said.
"What do you think it is?"
"Bogs make strange noises sometimes."
"No,no, that was a real voice."
"Maybe. It could be a bittern, a rare bird."
"It's the strangest thing I ever heard in my life."
"Oh, excuse me a few minutes! That is..."
A small butterfly flew by towards the bog and Stapleton ran after it. He was still chasing it when I heard someone behind me. I looked a round to see a woman coming towards me.
This had to be Miss Stapleton. I had heard that she was a beautiful woman and this lady was quite striking. She was very different from her brother. He had light hair and gray eyes, while she was very dark - slim, elegant and tall.
"Go back!" she said. "Go straight back to London, right away."
I stared at her in surprise. "Why should I go back?" I asked.
"I can't explain, "He replied. "But for God's sake, do what I ask you. Go back and never set foot on the moor again,"
"But I've only just come."
"Man, man!" she cried. "Cab't you tell that this warning is for your own good? Go back to London tonight! Get away from here. Hush, my brother is Stapleton had given up the chase and came back to us.
"Hello, Beryl," he said rather coldly.
"Well, Jack, you are very hot."
"Yes. I was chasing a rare butterfly. What a pity I missed him!" His small light eyes looked sharply at us. "I see you've introduced yourselves."
"Yes, I was telling sir Henry that it is rather late in the year to see the true beauty of the moor."
"Who do you think this is?"
"Sir Henry Baskerville, I thought."
"No,no," I said. "I'm his friend, Dr. Watson."
Beryl looked annoyed but invited me to come and see Merripit House.
It was an old stone farmhouse that had been modernized. Inside were large rooms with elegant furniture, As I looked through the windows at the vast moor outside, I wondered why this educated man and this beautiful woman had come to live here.
"Strange choice, isn't it?" he asked, as if he read my thoughts. "But we manage to be fairly happy here, don't we berly?"
"Quite happy," she said without enthusiasm.
"We used to have a school in the north of England, and when we had to close it we moved here. I enjoy studying plants and animals and so does my sister, We have interesting neighbors too, like Dr. Mortimer. Sir Charles was also our friend and we miss him, I'd like to visit sir Henry this afternoon."
"I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."
"So please tell him I'll come. Will you stay for lunch?"
But I was in no mood to stay after all the strange things I had seen and heard, so I walked straight back to Baskerville Hall.