Desire's very young laugh rippled out. "Fussy!" she said. But
nevertheless she climbed down and sat demurely upon stones in the
hollow. There was an unfamiliar light in her waiting eyes, the light
of interest and of hope.

Spence, rather to his consternation, realized that it was up to him
to justify that hope. And he wasn't at all sure . . . however, he
had to go through with it, . . . There was a fighting chance,
anyway.

"Let's think about the work for a moment," he began nervously. "That
work, my book, you know, is simply going all to pot if you can't
keep on with it. You can see yourself what it means to have a
competent secretary. And you like the work. You've just admitted
that you like it."

He saw the light begin to fade from her eyes. She shook her head.

"If you are going to suggest that I go with you as your secretary,"
she said with her old bluntness, "it is useless. I have tried that
way out. I won't try it again." Her lips grew stern and her eyes
dark with some too bitter memory.

"I honestly don't see what Dr. Farr could do," said Spence
tentatively.

"You would," said Dr. Farr's daughter with decision.

"And anyway," proceeding hastily, "that wasn't what I was thinking
of. I knew that you would refuse to go as my secretary. I ask you to