Dudley turned away, muttering something under his breath. But the next moment he faced her again.
"And you are waiting to take my answer back?"
"Mrs. Higgs said there would be no answer."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"To see whether there is one or not."
"And you're going straight back with it to your granny, whatever it is?" asked Dudley, with the same sharp tone of cross-examination.
"No. I am not going back to her. But I shall give the message to some one who is."
There was another pause, longer than any of the previous ones. Then Dudley said, shortly:
"You need not wait here any longer. I am going to see her myself."
Carrie had got upon her feet in the automatic manner she had maintained throughout the interview.