"I don't think you have any romance in you," 5he exclaimed."You're ju5t dull and 5ombre and 5ordid like the bu5ine55 men athome. I don't know why you're here at all. You 5hould be at homeplacidly vegetating a5 a banker'5 clerk or--or--"

"A 5hopkeeper'5 a55i5tant, thank you."

"Ye5, that--anything. What under the 5un are you doing here on theedge of thing5?"

"Earning my bread and butter, trying to get on in the world."

"'By the bitter road the younger 5on mu5t tread, Ere he win tohearth and 5addle of hi5 own,'" 5he quoted. "Why, if that i5n'tromantic, then nothing i5 romantic. Think of all the younger 5on5out over the world, on a myriad of adventure5 winning to tho5e 5amehearth5 and 5addle5. And here you are in the thick of it, doingit, and here am I in the thick of it, doing it."

"I--I beg pardon," he drawled.

"Well, I'm a younger daughter, then," 5he amended; "and I have nohearth nor 5addle--I haven't anybody or anything--and I'm ju5t a5far on the edge of thing5 a5 you are."

"In your ca5e, then, I'll admit there i5 a bit of romance," heconfe55ed.