I once knew a boy who stood as
that boy stands--at the parting of the ways; when the good that was in
him fought the last great fight with the Devil of Circumstances. If a
hand had been stretched forth to help that boy at that time ... Ah,
well! it wasn't. The Devil took the reins and the game went _his_ way.
If five shillings will put the reins into that boy's hands to-night and
steer him back to the right path, so much the better for him and--for
me. I'll know if he's worth the chance I took to-morrow. Now let us talk
about something else. Will you allow me to escort you across the heath
and see you safely on your way home? Or would you prefer that I should
remain in the background as before?"

"How ungrateful you must think me, to suggest such a thing as that," she
said with a reproachful smile. "Walk with me if you will be so kind. I
hope you know that this is the third time you have rendered me a service
since I had the pleasure of meeting you. It is very nice of you; and I
am extremely grateful. I wonder you find the time or--well, take the
trouble," rather archly; "a great man like you."

"Shall I take off my hat and say 'thank you, ma'am'; or just the
hackneyed 'Praise from Sir Hubert is praise indeed'?" he said with a
laugh as he fell into step with her and they faced the mist and the
distance together. "I suppose you are alluding to my success in the
famous Stanhope Case--the newspapers made a great fuss over that, Mr.
Narkom tells me. But--please. One big success doesn't make a 'great man'
any more than one rosebush makes a garden."

"Are you fishing for a compliment? Or is that really natural
modesty? I had heard of your exploits and seen your name in the papers,
oh, dozens of times before I first had the pleasure of meeting you; and
since then ... No, I shan't flatter you by saying how many successes I
have seen recorded to your credit in the past two years. Do you know that
I have a natural predilection for such things? It may be morbid of me--is
it?--but I have the strongest kind of a leaning toward the tales of
Gaboriau; and I have always wanted to know a really great detective--like
Lecocq, or Dupin. And that day at Ascot when Mr. Narkom told me that he
would introduce me to the famous 'Man of the Forty Faces'... Mr. Cleek,
why do they call you 'the Man of the Forty Faces'? You always look the
same to me."

"Perhaps I shan't, when we come to the end of the heath and get into the
public street, wher