She waited for a moment to see what effect this notorious name would have on her visitor, but, to her surprise, Eugénie simply bowed. "Yes, I know," she replied. Caprice arose and advanced towards her. "You know," she exclaimed vehemently, "and yet can sit down in the same room with a woman of my character. Are you not afraid I'll contaminate you--do you not shrink from a pariah like me--no--you do not--great heavens!" with a bitter laugh, sitting down again; "and I thought the age of miracles was past--ah, bah! But you are only a girl, my dear, and don't understand." Eugénie arose and crossed over to her. "I do understand; I am a woman, and feel for a woman." Kitty caught her hand and gave a gasping cry. "God bless you!" she whispered, in a husky voice. Then in a moment she had dashed the tears away from her eyes, and sat up again in her bright, resolute manner. "No woman has spoken so kindly as you have for many years," she said quickly; "and I thank you. I can give you my child, and you will take care of her for me when I am far away." "What do you mean?" asked Eugénie, puzzled. "Mean--that I am not fit to live with my child, that I am going to send her to England with you, that she may forget she ever had a mother." "But why do this," said Eugénie in a pitying tone, "when you can keep her with you?" "I cannot let her grow up in the atmosphere of sin I live in." "Then why not leave this sinful life, and go to England with your child?" Kitty shook her head with a dreary smile. "Impossible--to leave off this life would kill me; besides, I saw a doctor some time ago, and he told me I had not very long to live; there is something wrong with my heart. I don't care if I do die so long as my child is safe--you will look after her?" "Yes," replied Eugénie firmly; "I will look after her." Kitty approached her timidly. "May I kiss you?" she said faintly, and seeing her answer in the girl's eyes, she bent down and kissed her forehead. "Now I must introduce you to your new pupil," she said, cheerfully overcoming her momentary weakness. "Wait a moment," said Eugénie, as Caprice went to the bell-pull. "I want to ask you about Mr. Stewart." Caprice turned round quickly. "Yes--what--about him?" "Does he love you?" Caprice came over to the fire and looked closely at her. "You are the girl he is engaged to?" "Yes." "Then, make your mind easy, my dear, he loves no one but you." Eugénie gave a sigh of relief, at which Kitty smiled a little scornfully. "Ah! you love him so much as that?" she said half pathetically; "it's a pity, my dear, he's not worth it." "What do you mean?" "Don't be angry, Miss Rainsford," said Kitty, quietly; "I don't mean that he loves any one else, but he's not the man I took him for." "I don't understand." "I wouldn't try to, if I were you," replied Kitty significantly. "I helped him when I first met him, because he saved my child's life. He came down here, and I liked him still more." "You loved him?"