"Oh," said he finally, "you've been thinking over what I said." This was disconcerting; but she contrived to smile with winning frankness.

"Yes," replied she.

"I've been very wrong, I see." She felt proud of the adroitness of this--an exact truth, yet wholly misleading.
His expression told her that he was congratulating himself on his wisdom and success in having given her a sharp talking to; that he was thinking it had brought her to her senses, had restored her respect for him, had opened the way for her love for him to begin to show itself--that love which he so firmly believed in, egotist that he was! Could anything be more infuriating?
Yet--after all, what difference did it make, so long as he yielded?
And once she had him enthralled, then--ah, yes--THEN! Meanwhile she must remember that the first principle of successful deception is self-deception, and must try to convince herself that she was what she was pretending to be.
Dinner was served, and he fell to like a harvest hand.

As he had the habit, when he was very hungry, of stuffing his mouth far too full for speech, she was free to carry out her little program of encouraging talk and action.

As she advanced from hesitating compliment to flattery, to admiring glances, to lingering look, she marveled at her facility.