"Everything. You are a mother--so am I: you love your child--I love mine; yet you would make my innocent child suffer for its father's crime. Oh, if you have any feelings of a mother, spare the father for the sake of the child." Kitty stood irresolute, while the woman at her feet burst into wild and passionate weeping. At this moment Meg entered the room by the window, and paused for a moment. "Mumsey," she said, "why does the lady cry?" Kitty would have interposed, but Mrs. Malton stretched out her hands to Meg with a quiet in-drawing of her breath. "I am crying for my little girl." "Is she dead?" asked Meg, coming to the kneeling woman, and touching her shoulder. "Poor lady--poor, poor lady!" Kitty could contain herself no longer. With a sudden impulse, she bent down and raised the weeping woman. "I will do what I can," she said huskily, and sank into a chair. "Thank God!" cried Mrs. Malton, advancing, but Kitty waved her off, while Meg stood looking from one to the other in amazement. "Go, go!" Mrs. Malton bent down and kissed her hand. "May God be merciful to you, as you have been to me," and, without another word, she departed. "Mumsey," said Meg, trying to take her mother's hands from her face, "were you cross to the lady?" "No, darling, no!" replied Kitty, drawing Meg close to her. "Mother was kind to the lady because of her little girl." "Good mumsey, dear mumsey; Meg loves you," and she put her arms round Kitty's neck, while the poor woman leaned her aching head against the innocent breast of her child, and burst into tears. CHAPTER VI THE ANNOYANCE OF HIRAM J. FENTON. It is a curious fact that Melbourne has, in its social and business aspects, a strong leaven of Americanism, and visitors from the great Republic find themselves quite at home in the Metropolis of the South. There are the same bold, speculative qualities, the same restless pursuit of pleasure, and the same rapidity and promptness of action which characterises the citizen of San Francisco or New York. Consequently, there are many Americans to be found in a city so congenial to their tastes, and of these Hiram J. Fenton was one.