Question

What was the case that Holmes had been dealing with recently?​

Answer 1

Answer:

This is one of those questions that requires you to read beyond the immediate material. The short answer is that Holmes becomes interested because Dr. Mortimer reads about details of the case that suggested foul play. But what were those details, and why were they so suggestive? We learn this later, in chapter three.

Dr. Mortimer reads two documents aloud to Holmes. The first is the "curious, old world narrative" recounting the legend of the Hound. Conan Doyle's writing suggests that Holmes is unimpressed. Holmes yawns, and dismisses the story as something of interest to "a collector of fairy tales."