Presently Dudley stopped short in his walk, right in front of Carrie, who seemed, however, unconscious of or indifferent to the fact.
"Who are you?" he asked, abruptly.
Carrie looked up and surveyed him as if from a great distance.
"I don't know," she answered, rather quaintly, but evidently unconscious of the oddity of her own answer. There was a moment's pause, and then she asked, briskly:
"However, that doesn't matter to you, does it?"
"Well, yes, it does. You come here as a messenger. Now, I want to know your credentials."
"I don't know what you mean. I live with Mrs. Higgs. She makes me call her 'Granny.'"
Dudley at once became strongly interested.
"Live with her, do you, and call her Granny? I've never seen you when I have visited Mrs. Higgs."
"I've seen you, though. I've seen—"