He spoke whimsically, but there was a rough dignity about him nevertheless which had an undeniable effect upon her. She could no longer spurn him with contempt, though neither could she yield a single inch to his persuasion.
"It would be quite useless for me to consider it," she said. "I am sorry if I was rude to you just now, but your suggestion rather took my breath away. Please understand that it is quite, quite impossible!"
"All right," he said. "Still you won’t dismiss it quite entirely from your mind? That is to say, you’ll hold it in reserve just in case a way of escape becomes essential to you. I shan’t break my heart about it, but neither shall I change my mind. The offer remains open day and night just in case the emergency might arise which would make you willing to avail yourself of it."
He took his hand from her arm, and she felt that the interview was over.
Yet he walked beside her as she began to move away, and crossed the road again with her to the entrance of the hotel.
"And one thing more," he said, as they reached it. "I have no wish or intention to force myself upon you, so if--to please Bunny--you can bring yourself to accompany the pair of us on the Sunday expedition to see the stud, you need not be afraid that I shall attempt to take advantage of your position again."
The colour flamed up in her face at the few, leisurely words. He seemed to possess the power of calling it up at will.
She stood on the first step, looking down at him, uncertain whether to be haughty or kind.
He moved close to her, and by the lamplight that streamed through the glass doors she saw his frank, disarming smile.
"And look here!" he said. "Don’t fling cold water on that other scheme for Bunny that I broached to you, yet! You never know what may turn up."
The smile decided her. She held out her hand to him. "But, you know, I couldn’t--I really couldn’t--" she said rather incoherently.
He gave the hand a firm grip and released it. "No. All right. I understand. But think about it! And don’t run away with the idea that I planned it just for your sake! I’d like jolly well to be of use to you. But--in the main--it’s the lad I’m thinking of. You do the same! After all, it’s second nature with you to put him first, isn’t it?"