He went to the hotel and dined alone. "What's
all this that's up about Captain Mountjoy?" said a stranger, coming and
whispering to him at his table.

The inquirer was almost a stranger, but Harry did know his name. It was
Mr. Baskerville, the hunting man. Mr. Baskerville was not rich, and not
especially popular, and had no special amusement but that of riding two
nags in the winter along the roads of Cheltenham in the direction which
the hounds took. It was still summer, and the nags, who had been made to
do their work in London, were picking up a little strength in idleness,
or, as Mr. Baskerville called it, getting into condition. In the mean
time Mr. Baskerville amused himself as well as he could by lying in bed
and playing lawn-tennis. He sometimes dined at the hotel, in order that
the club might think that he was entertained at friends' houses; but the
two places were nearly the same to him, as he could achieve a dinner and
half a pint of wine for five or six shillings at each of them. A more
empty existence, or, one would be inclined to say, less pleasurable, no
one could pass; but he had always a decent coat on his back and a smile
on his face, and five shillings in his pocket with which to pay for his
dinner. His asking what was up about Scarborough showed, at any rate,
that he was very backward in the world's news.

"I believe he has vanished," said Harry.

"Oh yes, of course he's vanished. Everybody knows that--he vanished ever
so long ago; but where is he?"

"If you can tell them in Scotland Yard they will be obliged to you."

"I suppose it is true the police are after him? Dear me! Forty thousand
a year! This is a very queer story about the property, isn't it?"

"I don't know the story exactly, and therefore can hardly say whether it
is queer or not."

"But about the younger son? People say that the father has contrived
that the younger son shall have the money. What I hear is that the whole
property is to be divided, and that the captain is to have half, on
conditions that he keeps out of the way. But I am sure that you know
more about it. You used to be intimate with both the brothers. I have
seen you down here with the captain. Where is he?" And again he
whispered into Harry's ear. But he could not have selected any subject
more distasteful, and, therefore, Harry repulsed Mr. Baskerville not in
the most courteous manner.

"Hang it! what airs that fellow gives himself," he said to another
friend