This accounts for
the description given to you of a man with a pale face. Even now the
coloring is irregular, as you may notice.
"Deciding to work anonymously, I went post haste to Lord Wrexhorough
and made certain arrangements whereby I became known to the
responsible authorities as 719. The explanation of these figures is a
simple one. My name is Greville Seton. G is the seventh letter in the
alphabet, and S the nineteenth; hence--'seven-nineteen.'
"The increase of the drug traffic and the failure of the police to
cope with it had led to the institution of a Home office inquiry, you
see. It was suspected that the traffic was in the hands of orientals,
and in looking about for a confidential agent to make certain
inquiries my name cropped up. I was at that time employed by the
Foreign office, but Lord Wrexborough borrowed me." Seton smiled at his
own expression. "Every facility was offered to me, as you know. And
that my investigations led me to the same conclusion as your own, my
presence as lessee of this room, in the person of John Smiles, seaman,
sufficiently demonstrates."
"H'm," said Kerry, "and I take it your investigations have also led
you to the conclusion that our hands are clean?"
Seton Pasha fixed his cool regard upon the speaker.
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