"In that case you must forgive me," he replied. "As a matter of fact I was so much carried away by my excitement that I could think of nothing else. However, I have promised you the story, and you shall have it. Some years ago, eight or ten perhaps, we had a young man working for us in the Argentine as an overseer. He was in many respects a brilliant young fellow, and would doubtless have done well for himself in time, had he been able to go straight. Unfortunately, however, he did not do so. He went from bad to worse. At last he was caught in a flagrant piece of dishonesty, and was immediately discharged. When I tell you that that young man had a mark such as you described upon his cheek, you may be able to derive some idea of what follows."
"Might it not be a pure coincidence?" I replied.
"Not in this case, I fancy," he answered. "What makes me the more inclined to believe that it is the same individual, is the fact that our secretary met him in Leadenhall Street only a few days ago. He looked older, but had evidently prospered in the world. As a matter of fact, Warner described him as being irreproachably dressed, and turned out. I trust his good fortune was honestly come by; but I must own, from what I know of him, that I have my doubts."
"But what possible reason could this individual have for calling upon me, and why should he have made me such an offer as I have described to you?"
The director shook his head. The question was evidently beyond him.
"I can assign no sort of reason for it," he said, "unless he has some hope of being able to get you out of England for a time."
"I don't see how that could benefit him," I replied. "I am connected with no case in which he has any sort of interest."
"You never can tell," the old gentleman replied. "From what I know of him, Gideon Hayle was always----"
"Gideon what?" I cried, springing to my feet. "Did I understand you to say Gideon Hayle?"
"That's the name of the young man of whom I have been speaking to you," he replied. "But what makes you so excited."