‘Then I am very glad,’ said he.  ’Will you trust me to drive you the rest of the way, if I displace Mr. Gotham?  I share your infirmity of impatience sometimes.’

’An infirmity, you call it?—­Well, displace anybody you like, but me,’ said Wych Hazel, arranging herself in a small luxury of fatigue against the not too luxurious back of the rockaway.  Her companion was silent a few minutes until the carriage passed out from the Moscheloo grounds and had gone a few rods; then he tapped Mr. Falkirk’s factotum on the shoulder.

‘Mr. Gotham,’ said he, in tones of pleasant authority, ’I can’t stand anybody’s driving but my own to-night.  Stop, if you please.  You and Dingee may take a place with my man; my trap is just behind.  Tell him to keep close and follow.’

‘Sorry to do h’anything that looks un’ansome, sir,’ said Gotham, swallowing his surprise with the adroitness of long practice, ’but I ’ave Miss ‘Azel in charge, sir.’

’You had, my friend.  I will relieve you.  Come, jump out, and don’t keep your young lady waiting.’  The voice was of calm authority which most people understand and obey.  And Wych Hazel laughed.

‘I’m sure I can’t say what Mr. Falkirk will think, sir!’ said Gotham, in a displeased voice. ’ ’Owever—­I will h’assume it’s h’all right, sir.—­Though why he couldn’t drive his h’own team, if he’d such an ‘ankering for the ribbands,’ he muttered to Dingee as he got down, ‘I’m sure is a perplexity.’

‘Wanted to drive Missee Hazel,’ said Dingee, climbing like a cat into the other conveyance, and proceeding to drive Mr. Rollo’s man nearly out of his wits.  ’You never does sound de gen’lman, Mas’ Gotham.  Telled you so long ago.’

Having got his wish, Mr. Rollo drove regularly enough for a mile or two; till all carriages going their way had passed before or dropped behind or turned off, and they had the road entirely to themselves.  The moon was riding high, and though an old moon, gave enough light to make driving a thing of no difficulty.  Thus far Rollo had driven in comparative silence, with only a word or two occasionally to Wych Hazel.  He had not removed himself by any means out of her companionship, but throwing himself sideways on the front seat of the carriage, looked sometimes out and sometimes in.  Now, when the road was their own, and the old horse could find his way along with very little guiding, and the moonlight seemed to illuminate nothing so much as the stillness, Rollo turned his head and spoke.

’Miss Kennedy, do you like to have people come suing to you with petitions?’

‘I think I might—­if I could answer them myself,’ she said, thinking of some that had been preferred that night.  ’But when my yes or no depends on somebody else, it is rather stupid.  One tires of a perpetual referee at one’s back.’

’This depends on nobody but you.  But I am rushing into the middle of things,’ said Rollo, giving the old steed an intimation that he need not absolutely fall back upon walking.  ’Miss Kennedy, I am coming to you with a great petition to-night—­and I am too impatient to wait for it.’