Wopples saw Madame next day, and a long talk ensued,
which ended in Kitty agreeing to stay six months with
Mrs Villiers, and then, if she still wished to continue
on the stage, she was to go to Mr Wopples. On
the other hand, in consideration of Wopples losing
the services of Kitty, Madame promised that next year
she would give him sufficient money to start a theatre
in Melbourne. So both parted mutually satisfied.
Kitty made presents to all the family, who were very
sorry to part with her, and then took up her abode
with Mrs Villiers, as a kind of adopted daughter,
and was quite prepared to play her part in the comedy
of fashion.
So Madame Midas had been near the truth, yet never
discovered it, and sent a letter to Vandeloup asking
him to come to dinner and meet an old friend, little
thinking how old and intimate a friend Kitty was to
the young man.
It was, as Mr Wopples would have said, a highly dramatic
situation, but, alas, that the confiding nature of
Madame Midas should thus have been betrayed, not only
by Vandeloup, but by Kitty herself—the
very girl whom, out of womanly compassion, she took
to her breast.
And yet the world talks about the inherent goodness
of human nature.
M. VANDELOUP IS SURPRISED
Owing to the quiet life Kitty had led since she came
to Melbourne, and the fact that her appearance on
the stage had taken place in the country, she felt
quite safe when making her appearance in Melbourne
society that no one would recognise her or know anything
of her past life. It was unlikely she would meet
with any of the Pulchop family again, and she knew
Mr Wopples would hold his tongue regarding his first
meeting with her, so the only one who could reveal
anything about her would be Vandeloup, and he would
certainly be silent for his own sake, as she knew
he valued the friendship of Madame Midas too much
to lose it. Nevertheless she awaited his coming
in considerable trepidation, as she was still in love
with him, and was nervous as to what reception she
would meet with. Perhaps now that she occupied
a position as Mrs Villiers’ adopted daughter
he would marry her, but, at all events, when she met
him she would know exactly how he felt towards her
by his demeanour.
Vandeloup, on the other hand, was quite unaware of
the surprise in store for him, and thought that the
old friend he was to meet would be some Ballarat acquaintance
of his own and Madame’s. In his wildest
flight of fancy he never thought it would be Kitty,
else his cool nonchalance would for once have been
upset at the thought of the two women he was interested
in being under the same roof. However, where
ignorance is bliss—well M. Vandeloup, after
dressing himself carefully in evening dress, put on
his hat and coat, and, the evening being a pleasant
one, thought he would stroll through the Fitzroy Gardens
down to the station.
