Winifred thought of this, and she thought, too, that when the prey had presence of mind to feign sleep or death the brute was said not to kill, after all.

She did not put her hand into the hand that Logan held out, but neither did she turn to run from him.  “This is quite a surprise,” she remarked quietly.

“A pleasant surprise, I hope,” he suggested.

“A sort of practical joke, I suppose,” the girl said.

“Well, yes, that’s just what it is,” Logan smiled, evidently wondering at her calmness and not sure whether to take it as a good or bad omen.  “It seemed to be the only way I could get you to accept any invitation of mine.”

“Rather a high-handed way!” said Win, shrugging her shoulders.  “Still—­here I am.  This seems to be a nice house.  Is it yours?”

“It’s my father’s.  We’re all supposed to be somewhere else for the summer.  But I run in sometimes.  My servant looks after me.  He’s as devoted as the servants in books.  I pay him to be.  There’s nothing I want done that he wouldn’t do.”

“He appears to have made you a very nice supper.”  Win’s eyes rested on the table.

“Nothing could be too good for you.  If I’ve got you here—­well, sort of under false pretences—­there’ll be no false pretences about anything else now I have got you.  There’s a little surprise in those flowers by your plate.  I hope you’ll like it.”

“A peace offering?” suggested Win lightly.

“Yes.  And a love token.  You know I’ve been in love with you, you bewitching thing, just madly in love, since that night in the park.  I never rested till I saw you again at Peter Rolls’s.  And then I knew I couldn’t rest until—–­”

“Wait!” exclaimed Win, putting out both hands to hold him off as he came close.  “Wait—­please!” She still spoke lightly.  “I’m your guest.  I quite understand that ‘might makes right!’ But there’s another law—­the law of hospitality, isn’t there?  This is—­a great adventure.  Let me get into the spirit of it before you say or do any more.  Give me time—­to breathe.  Where may I put my cloak?  Perhaps you’ve a long mirror somewhere?  I want to see if I’m beautiful enough for my background.”

Logan yielded to the hands which pushed him away.  It charmed him that this tall, spirited creature was taking things in a debonair way.  He thought it splendid that she should talk of an adventure and of entering into the spirit of it.  If she had made a fuss and tried to escape and refused to eat supper with him, there would have been some pleasure in conquering, but not the same pleasure there would be in a jolly little supper with a pretty girl who gayly acknowledged that the “joke was on her,” and then making love to her afterward.

Not that he quite trusted the strange creature yet.  She might be like a kitten that submits to be petted while lying in wait for its chance to spring.  But this kitten might lie in wait as long as it liked.  The chance to spring wouldn’t come.  By and by the kitten would discover that fact if the hope were in its mind, for he meant business this time.