How we cite our quotes: (Chapter. Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth. Not that you are entirely wrong in this instance." (1.17)
The very first scene of the novel quickly establishes the dynamic of their friendship. Holmes is superior and a bit condescending to Watson. He clumsily tries to express his appreciation for his friend's ideas. He's clueless that telling Watson that he's helpful mainly as an inspiration to his own genius might be a tiny bit insulting. By now in the Holmes canon, we know that Watson handles this kind of treatment with grace. Their relationship is too strong to be threatened by it.
Quote #2
"This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death some three months ago created so much excitement in Devonshire. I may say that I was his personal friend as well as his medical attendant. He was a strong-minded man, sir, shrewd, practical, and as unimaginative as I am myself. Yet he took this document very seriously, and his mind was prepared for just such an end as did eventually overtake him." (2.7)
Dr. Mortimer is an awkward character in the novel. He mainly serves as a human Exposition Fairy who fills in Holmes and Watson on the background of Sir Charles Baskerville and the Hound and then more-or-less disappears. Dr. Mortimer's friendship with Sir Charles is a plot convenience to give us access to Sir Charles' thoughts on the Hound. It also lets us know a little about what kind of person Sir Charles was.
Quote #3
"At the present instant one of the most revered names in England is being besmirched by a blackmailer, and only I can stop a disastrous scandal. You will see how impossible it is for me to go to Dartmoor."
"Whom would you recommend, then?"
Holmes laid his hand upon my arm.
"If my friend would undertake it there is no man who is better worth having at your side when you are in a tight place. No one can say so more confidently than I." (5.76-9)
Holmes really seems to trust Watson absolutely. He wouldn't send just anybody in his place to protect Sir Henry and report on the happenings around Baskerville Hall. On the other hand, Holmes is taking Watson for granted. While Watson's flattered, he's still taken completely by surprise when Holmes offers to send him off to Devon without asking him first. We assume that Holmes can be a pain to deal with as a friend. What if Watson had World Cup tickets for that weekend?