How we cite our quotes: (Chapter. Paragraph)
Quote #4
It is not to be wondered at, for time hangs heavily in this lonely spot to an active man like him, and she is a very fascinating and beautiful woman. There is something tropical and exotic about her which forms a singular contrast to her cool and unemotional brother. Yet he also gives the idea of hidden fires. He has certainly a very marked influence over her, for I have seen her continually glance at him as she talked as if seeking approbation for what she said. I trust that he is kind to her. There is a dry glitter in his eyes and a firm set of his thin lips, which goes with a positive and possibly a harsh nature. You would find him an interesting study. (8.7)
Even though Beryl and Jack Stapleton are lying about their identities, their physical appearances hint at the truth. Watson notices that there is something "tropical and exotic" about Beryl, which foreshadows the revelation that she's Beryl Garcia, from Costa Rica. (See our "Character Analysis" of Beryl for more thoughts on Conan Doyle's racial politics here.) Watson also sees that Stapleton "has […] a very marked influence" over Beryl. While he may not know the details, we later discover that Stapleton uses a combination of love and harsh treatment to keep Beryl in line.
Quote #5
"I should say that it was much more likely that it was the son of one of the moorland shepherds taking out his father's dinner."
The least appearance of opposition struck fire out of the old autocrat. His eyes looked malignantly at me, and his gray whiskers bristled like those of an angry cat.
"Indeed, sir!" said he, pointing out over the wide-stretching moor. "Do you see that Black Tor over yonder? Well, do you see the low hill beyond with the thornbush upon it? It is the stoniest part of the whole moor. Is that a place where a shepherd would be likely to take his station? Your suggestion, sir, is a most absurd one." (11.93-5)
Here, Watson cleverly a lie to provoke Mr. Frankland into spilling what he knows about the mysterious man out on the moors. Mr. Frankland can't stand the "least appearance of opposition," so when Watson pretends to dismiss his ideas, Mr. Frankland immediately contradicts Watson with more details than he might have otherwise let on.
Quote #6
"Because he so far forgot himself as to tell you a true piece of autobiography upon the occasion when he first met you, and I dare say he has many a time regretted it since. He was once a schoolmaster in the north of England. Now, there is no one more easy to trace than a schoolmaster. There are scholastic agencies by which one may identify any man who has been in the profession. A little investigation showed me that a school had come to grief under atrocious circumstances, and that the man who had owned it—the name was different—had disappeared with his wife. The descriptions agreed. When I learned that the missing man was devoted to entomology the identification was complete." (12.57)
Stapleton's undoing is that he doesn't lie quite enough. He tells Watson the truth about having been a schoolmaster in the north of England. That is how Holmes manages to trace Stapleton's identity back to Yorkshire, where he and Beryl were living under the name of Vandeleur. The thing about living a life of constant lying is that you can't be on your guard all the time—Stapleton is bound to slip up, which is enough for Holmes to discover his secret.