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?"
"He always will come first, with me," she said. "But I couldn't--I can't--incur such an obligation--even for him."
"All right," said Jake, unmoved. "Class it with the impossibles--but, all the same, think about it!"