"Remember what Barnum said," Lima replied lightly.
"At least you do not take yourself too seriously," Bennett observed.
"On the contrary." Lima countered, "I take myself very seriously. You, however, do not. You are paying for my time and the customer is always right."
"Tell me," Bennett asked abruptly, "have we ever met before?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Have you any objections to telling me about yourself during our interview? Who are you? What is your background?"
"I will be glad to tell you about myself, if you think it will be interesting," she replied, after a barely perceptible pause. "How I came by this exceptional ability of mine, I have no slightest conception. I only remember that when I was young, and still without the intellect to evaluate social mores and customs, I was often placed in positions of awkwardness by my ability to read minds. At an early age, however, through the council of my parents, I learned to keep this knowledge to myself.
"By the time I reached my twentieth birthday, my parents were both dead and I was alone in the world. I had never learned any occupation. I made some attempts to use my mind-reading to some advantage to myself, but soon found that I encountered the opposition of the medical associations as well as the law. As a consequence, I turned to show business as the one means of earning a legitimate livelihood. There is not much more to tell."
"Can you actually read minds?" Bennett asked insistently.
"I can."