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“I’ to… I do”

“I will be a made man”

“Of course”

“I will have so much to offer you”

“You do already,” she said “You are quite remarkable”

For once, he ignored praise, saying, “But I couldn’t do this without him”

In a flash of insight into his strange mind, she said, “But he couldn’t do it without you”

“That’s right That’s right You know As powerful as he is — the most powerful man in the country — he could not do it without me”

“Does he know that?” she asked

“He doesn’t want to know it,” Clay said bitterly “He thinks he doesn’t need me”

“But he does!”

“Yes Even he needs don The most powerful man in Wall Street The most powerful man in steel and coal and railroads But he needs me”

My God, she thought, Clay had gone straight to the top Or bottodonfor fatback

He atching her, waiting She said, “Jadon is lucky to have you”

“Thank you,” Clay whispered “Thank you for saying that”