The hours went by, but the streams of motley pedestrians and the babel of vociferous vendors and chattering buyers did not slacken. Females were in the great majority, housewives from far and near foraging for Festival supplies. In vain Flutter-Duck wished them "A Good Sealing." It seemed as if her own Festival would be black and bitter as the Feast of Ab. But she continued to hold out her bloodless hand. Towards three o'clock a fine English lady, in a bonnet, passed by, carrying a leather bag. "Grant me a halfpenny, lady, dear! May you be written down for a good year!" The beautiful lady paused, startled. Then Flutter-Duck's heart gave a great leap of joy. The impossible had happened at last. Behind the veil shone the face of Rachel--a face of astonishment and horror. "Rachel!" she shrieked, tottering. "Mother!" cried Rachel, catching her by the arm. "What are you doing here? What has happened?" "Do not touch me, sinful girl!" answered Flutter-Duck, shaking her off with a tragic passion that gave dignity to the grotesque figure. Now that Rachel was there in the flesh, the remembrance of her shame surged up, drowning everything. "You have disgraced the mother who bore you and the father who gave you life." The fine English lady--her whole soul full of sudden remorse at the sight of her mother's incredible poverty, shrank before the blazing eyes. The passers-by imagined Rachel had refused the beggar-woman alms. "What have I done?" she faltered. "Where is Emanuel?" "Emanuel!" repeated Rachel, puzzled. "Emanuel Lefkovitch that you ran away with." "Mother, are you mad? I have never seen him. I am married." "Married!" gasped Flutter-Duck ecstatically. Then a new dread rose to her mind. "To a Christian?" "Me marry a Christian! The idea!" Flutter-Duck fell a-sobbing on the fine lady's fur jacket. "And you never ran away with Lefkovitch?" "Me take another woman's leavings? Well, upon my word!" "Oh," sobbed Flutter-Duck. "Oh, if your father could only have lived to know the truth!" Rachel's remorse became heartrending. "Is father dead?" she murmured with white lips. After awhile she drew her mother out of the babel, and giving her the bag to carry to save appearances, she walked slowly towards Liverpool Street, and took train with her for her pretty little cottage near Epping Forest.