The story begins: You never met Selwyn, did you? No, sir. Never heard anything definite about his trouble? insisted Gerard. Oh, yes, sir! replied young Erroll. I've heard a good deal about it. Everybody has, you know. Well, I don't know, retorted Austin Gerard irritably, what everybody has heard, but I suppose it's the usual garbled version made up of distorted fact and malicious gossip. That's why I sent for you. Sit down. Gerald Erroll seated himself on the edge of the big, polished table in Austin's private office, one leg swinging, an unlighted cigarette between his lips. Austin Gerard, his late guardian, big florid, with that peculiar blue eye which seems to characterize hasty temper, stood by the window, tossing up and catching the glittering gold piece-souvenir of the directors' meeting which he had just left.