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isen from my chair, and was about to move towards the door, when she stopped me.
"Still a few moments, Mr. Beckwith, if you don't mind. Mr.--" she hesitated, then went smilingly on: "I don't see that there's any objection to your knowing his name; you may have to know it before very long what does it matter? Mr. Stewart has something which he wishes to say to you before you leave, and which I think you may like to hear. Here he comes to tell you for himself what it is." Mr. Stewart since that seemed to be the gentleman's name came into the room. She said to him, "Paul, Mr. Beckwith wishes to go home."
The man was as radiant as the girl; I am not sure that the beam in him was not more pronounced. He paused at the door and eyed me again with keen appraisement yet all the while he smiled.
"Mr. Beckwith," he began, "I believe you have done me a service unwittingly. You could hardly have done me a better turn."
"I am glad to hear it. You have done me one. Without you and this lady I don't know where I should have been; in a pretty bad hole. Now, with your permission, I will say good-day, and thank you."
"One moment; gently! I should like to have a word with you before you go. You are, I take it, a man of affairs a busy man."
"I am sorry to say that for the moment I am not. I have lost my situation since yesterday."
"Since yesterday? Is that so? That's fortunate."
"I'm afraid I can't agree with you. It's much easier to lose a situation than to find one especially in the dried fruit trade."
"That's as may be. Suppose that I had a situation to offer you."
"You? Are you in the dried fruit trade?"
"Not exactly, but I am in trade."
"May I ask what trade?
"Oh, I buy things and I sell them, and I buy them again and sell them again that sort of thing." His explanation of the trade he was in was not very clear, but I was not disposed to ask questions; until, as he presently did, he made a remark which startled me. "Are you a rich man, Mr.
