"Really? For business or pleasure?"

"Oh, business, entirely. You did not look yesterday as if you ever had
any pleasure in your life."

"Oh, yesterday! Don't let us talk about yesterday. It's to-day now,
you know. You seem to be a mind-reader. Perhaps you could tell my
occupation?"

"Certainly. Your occupation is doubtless that of a junior partner in a
prosperous New York house. You go over to Europe every year--perhaps
twice a year, to look after the interests of your business."

"You think I am a sort of commercial traveller, then?"

"Well, practically, yes. The older members of the firm, I should
imagine, are too comfortably situated, and care too little for the
pleasures of foreign travel, to devote much of their time to it. So what
foreign travel there is to be done falls on the shoulders of the younger
partner. Am I correct?"

"Well, I don't quite class myself as a commercial traveller, you know,
but in the main you are--in fact, you are remarkably near right. I think
you must be something of a mind-reader, as I said before, Miss Earle, or
is it possible that I carry my business so plainly in my demeanour as
all that?"

Miss Earle laughed. It was a very bright, pleasant, cheerful laugh.