"I know no one there."
"Would you like a letter to my agent? He's as bright as a new dollar, and as sharp as a needle."
"Much obliged to you; by all means give me a note to him. And now tell me about the trains, please; I am quite a stranger here."
"D'you wish to leave to-day?"
"I hate to think of losing a minute needlessly," said Gilbert, earnestly. "The matter is of the greatest importance."
"So I guessed," observed Matthews. "I'll do the best I can for you."
And he did. He made everything easy for Gilbert, so that the latter had no difficulty in reaching St. Paul well within two days after his arrival in New York.
As he had calculated, he was in St. Paul ten days after leaving London. Putting up at the Merchant's Hotel, he at once tried to get into communication with Hankey, Matthew's agent, on the telephone, but was disappointed. From a directory he ascertained where Hankey's office was, and learning from the hotel clerk that it was only a few blocks away, and not difficult to find, he set out for it. But he did not reach it without having to ask his way several times from people he met in the streets.
Stopping at the junction of two streets, and uncertain whether to go straight ahead or turn off, Gilbert consulted a policeman standing at the corner. As he spoke, the sound of his voice, or rather his accent, attracted the attention of a man who was passing by. Gilbert had his back to this pedestrian, so that he did not see him.
The pedestrian paused to make certain that he did recognize Gilbert's voice; besides, he recognized Gilbert's figure. Then he walked on slowly, and watched Gilbert's movements from a distance, taking care to keep himself unobserved.