“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.”

“Because I can understand everything now?” I declared.  “Good heavens! what an idiot I have been not to have seen the connection before!  Now I know why Gideon Hayle tried to lure me out of England with his magnificent offer.  Now I see why he set these roughs upon me.  It’s all as plain as daylight!”

“I am afraid I do not quite understand,” said my companion in his turn.  “But it is quite evident to me that you know more of Hayle’s past life than I do!”

“I should think I did,” I replied.  “By Jove, what a blackguard the man must be!  He robbed his two partners of enormous wealth in China, left them in the hands of the Chinese to be tortured and maimed for life, and now that he knows that I am acting for them in order to recover their treasure, he endeavours to put me out of the way.  But you’ve not done it yet, Mr. Hayle,” I continued, bringing my fist down with a bang upon the table, “and what’s more, clever as you may be, you are not likely to accomplish such an end.  You’ll discover that I can take very good care of myself, but before very long you’ll find that you are being taken care of by somebody else.”