“I still haven’t walked through the door,” he said, nodding to the office.

His arms crossed, Rosa shot him a look of consternation. “Mister Carter—”

“Um, Quinn,” he said, clearing his throat.

“I beg your pardon.”

“It’s Mister Quinn,” he said affably, “but of course you can call me Carter.”

“Mister Quinn, who are you? Are you a student here at the college?”

“No,” Carter explained with a shake of his head. “Actually, I live in North Providence, just a little ways up the street off campus. But I just graduated from UNH last week.”

“New Hampshire seems like a long way to go to obtain an education when you have a perfectly fine college right next door,” Rosa pointed out. “Pardon me.”

Rosa stepped past him and into his office. His back to the door, he went to his desk and continued organizing his papers.

“Just needed a change of scenery, I guess,” said Carter with a shrug, lingering outside the door. “It’s a nice place.”

“So I’ve heard,” said Rosa with an air of detachment. He hoped that an attitude of indifference on his part would discourage the younger man and entice him to go on his way. Undaunted, however, Carter stood there, lingering in the corridor just outside the door. His persistence piqued Rosa’s curiosity, and so, against his better judgment, for he had no intention of changing his mind on the matter of the Italian lessons, the professor said, “And what did you study there in New Hampshire, Mister Quinn?”

“Financial management.”

“And for what purpose?”

“Purpose?” Carter said. “I don’t know. I guess because I want a career in business.”

“A career in business,” repeated Rosa with a mildly derisive laugh. “That’s like saying you want a career in breathing.What is it that you truly want to do with your life?”

A moment passed before Carter replied. “I dunno,” he finally admitted. “I’m working on that one.”

“After four years of college, you’re still working on it? What were you doing all that time? Daydreaming?” said Rosa. He looked back over his shoulder and nodded at the insignia on Carter’s shirt. “I’m guessing you are an athlete, yes?”

“I played football,” said Carter with another shrug. “And some rugby in the spring.”

“A scholar athlete,” Rosa noted, turning back to his desk again. “Tell me, which were you more of, the former or the latter?”

“I studied pretty hard . . . sometimes,” he answered, sounding less than convincing, and even less convinced. “But sports were important to me, too, I guess.”

“Sports often are to people,” said Rosa with a sigh. “Too important in my opinion, but in your case I suppose I could understand why. Financial management doesn’t sound like the stuff to stir one’s academic passions.”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.”