"Last week he threw the local blacksmith over a wall into a stream. I had to collect all the money I could and give it to the blacksmith, to avoid another public incident. There are incidents like this all the time, and he is often in trouble with the police and the courts. He has no friends except some gypsies who he allows to stay on the weed-covered land of the estate. Sometimes he goes away with the gypsies for weeks. He also has a passion for Indian animals, including a cheetah and a baboon. Both of them wander around in the gardens. The villagers are almost as scared of the animals as they are scared of Dr Roylott."

"You can imagine that I and my poor sister Julia did not have very happy lives. No servant would stay with us, and we did all the work of the house. My sister was only thirty when she died, but already her hair was going white, just like mine."

"Is your sister dead?" Holmes asked.

"She died just two years ago, and it is about her death that I want to speak to you. You can understand that, we did not often meet other people. But when Julia went to visit an aunt for Christmas, she met a major in the army and they decided to get married. Our step-father did not say no, but within a fortnight of the wedding, a terrible event occurred, which took away my sister, who was my only companion."