Must admit I wasn't trying to suggest Roylott literally had a dual personality - it just seems odd to me that he has an uncontrollable temper but had the patience and cool-headedness to kill his stepdaughter by sending a snake into her room night after night.
I would definitely agree that Helen Stoner was desperate to leave home, and that was the driving force behind wanting to get married. This isn't a grand romance. But she does describe her fiance as a dear friend - she feels affection towards him. However, it's the fact Miss Stoner has to go to Holmes to get help that makes me look askance at Armitage - surely if he truly cared about her, he'd take her seriously?
Until recently, I didn't know the swamp adder didn't exist either ^^ I refer you to this poem (http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1239953.html#cutid1).
I really like "the species smokeandmirrus watsonicus." ^^ But from what Holmes says at the end of the story, he apparently was pretty certain that a snake would be appearing. If Watson is telling us the truth about this, then I think Holmes should have shared his theory with Watson. Otherwise he was putting Watson in unnecessary danger.
Just suddenly remembered Percy in Blackadder... ^^ Re canon, I thought of Percy Phelps - maybe ACD associated the name a little with weakness perhaps? Although there's also Percy Trevelyan, who couldn't really be described as weak, though he is "nervous and shy".
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2015-03-29 07:32 pm (UTC)I would definitely agree that Helen Stoner was desperate to leave home, and that was the driving force behind wanting to get married. This isn't a grand romance. But she does describe her fiance as a dear friend - she feels affection towards him. However, it's the fact Miss Stoner has to go to Holmes to get help that makes me look askance at Armitage - surely if he truly cared about her, he'd take her seriously?
Until recently, I didn't know the swamp adder didn't exist either ^^ I refer you to this poem (http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1239953.html#cutid1).
I really like "the species smokeandmirrus watsonicus." ^^ But from what Holmes says at the end of the story, he apparently was pretty certain that a snake would be appearing. If Watson is telling us the truth about this, then I think Holmes should have shared his theory with Watson. Otherwise he was putting Watson in unnecessary danger.
Just suddenly remembered Percy in Blackadder... ^^ Re canon, I thought of Percy Phelps - maybe ACD associated the name a little with weakness perhaps? Although there's also Percy Trevelyan, who couldn't really be described as weak, though he is "nervous and shy".