"The judge and your father," said Amidon, "have got up a wonderful guide from notes of this man Brassfield's talk."
"Yes," said she with a smile; "they are wonderful."
"And perfectly useless," he continued, "so far as my steering by them in Bellevale is concerned."
"As useless," she admitted, "as can be."
"You knew that?" he inquired. "Then why did you let them go on with it?"
"That's good," said she. "I like that! I was nicely situated to mention it, wasn't I?"
"The fact is, Clara," said he, "as you can see, that I've got to have you at Bellevale. I shall not go down there without you. I can't do it. I've thought it all out——"
"So have I," said she. "I knew that you'd have to have me—for a little while; knew it all the time. I was just thinking about it as you came up."
"Then can you—will you go?"
"Can I stay, Florian?" she inquired steadily. "Can I leave you like a just-cured blind and deaf man, and my work for you only begun? I must go! We were just talking about our going to Bellevale, as you came in, papa. Mr. Amidon will need us for a while when he first gets there."