"And unattached," he responded, dryly.
She was silenced, and they drove on some little distance, until a thought flashed into her mind.
"Oh," she said, "I was forgetting! Please ask him to drive to the post-office. I must see if there is a message from Mr. Vronsky about Denzil."
Felix called an order to the driver, and then turned to her. "Do you really tell me that my brother demanded of you that you should take this formidable journey to him alone?"
"Oh, no, no! Please don't imagine that! He thought Miss Rawson would come too. We were both at St. Petersburg, but Aunt Bee had an accident, and hurt herself so seriously that she could not move. So I determined to come alone. Mr. Vronsky's telegram was alarming."
"I congratulate you upon your devotion," remarked Felix, as the carriage stopped at a wooden house. "My brother is a lucky man."
"He is a very good man," said the girl, nettled by the sneer. "Please ask for the name of Rawson," she added, pettishly.
He soon came out, with a message. "Condition much improved."
She gave a sigh of relief, and handed him her purse. "How thankful I am! Will you please dispatch a message to say—'Safely arrived Gretz, coming on.' Don't say I'm alone, or Denzil will be nervous."
Felix ignored the purse, but went once more within the building, sent off the desired words, and soon emerged. "Any further orders?" he asked.