Kitty rose to her feet, and laughed bitterly. "Love him--love any one," she muttered, with a choking cry. "I hate the whole lot of them. Do you think I care for their flattery, their kisses, their protestations--bah! I know the value of such things. Love--I hate the word." "Yet my husband comes here," said the other timidly. Kitty turned on her fiercely. "Can I help that? Is it the candle's fault that the moths are attracted? I don't ask your husband to come; if he finds in me what he misses in you, it is your fault, not mine--your errand is useless, I cannot help you." She turned to go, but the young woman sprang forward and caught her dress. "You shall not go--you shall not!" she almost shrieked. "You and Fenton are dragging us both to perdition; he has ruined himself for your sake, and his friend--God help him--his friend has insulted me with words of love." "Am I the guardian of your virtue?" said Kitty pitilessly. Mrs. Malton stood wringing her hands. "Oh, God, have you no pity? I am a woman like yourself--my husband should protect me, but he leaves me for you--and," in a whisper, "you don't know all--he has given you presents, rich presents, and to do so has committed a crime." "A crime!" "Hush! hush!" glancing fearfully around, "not so loud--not so loud--yes, he has embezzled money, thousands of pounds, for your sake." Kitty gave a cry, and grasped at a chair for support. "I--I--did not--not ask him for his presents." "No; but it was for your sake--your sake. You must help him." "I," laughed Kitty mockingly, "help him? Help him!--help any man! My good woman, if he went into the prisoner's dock to-morrow, I would not lift one finger to save him." Mrs. Malton fell on her knees. "Oh, my God, don't talk like that!" she cried wildly. "You will ruin him--you will ruin him." Kitty swept round with a cold glitter, like steel, in her eyes. "Yes! it is my business to ruin men. When I was poor, and anxious to lead a good life, any outstretched hand might have saved me; but no, I was a pariah and outcast--they closed their doors against me. I asked for bread, they gave me a stone--they made of me a scourge for their own evil doing--this is the time for my revenge; fallen and degraded though I be, I can wring their hearts and ruin their homes through their nearest and dearest, and you come to ask me to relent--you, who, if you saw me to-morrow on the streets, would draw your skirts aside from the moral leper!" "No, no!" moaned the other, beating her breasts with her hands. "Have mercy, have mercy!" "What do you want me to do?" "You know the manager of the company, Mr. Fenton; he is your lover--he can refuse you nothing. Speak to him, and see if anything can be done." "No!" "For God's sake!" "No!" "You have a child?" "What is my child to you?"