"What for?" asked mumsey's sweetheart, setting her small mouth.
"Mumsey has to see a lady on business." Meg collected the bricks in a pinafore, and walked off to the French window, when she turned.
"Meg will play outside," she said, shaking her curls, "and will come in when mumsey calls."
Scarcely had Meg vanished when the servant threw open the door and announced,--
"Mrs. Malton."
A tall, slender girl entered the room quickly, and, as the door closed behind, paused a moment and looked steadily at Kitty through her thick veil.
"Mrs. Malton?" said Kitty interrogatively.
The visitor bowed, and, throwing back her veil, displayed a face of great beauty; but she had a restless, pitiful look in her eyes, and occasionally she moistened her dry lips with her tongue.
"Will you take a seat?" said the actress politely, taking in at a glance the beautiful, tired face and quiet, dark costume of her visitor.
"Thank you," replied Mrs. Malton, in a low, clear voice, and sat down in the chair indicated by her hostess, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands over the ivory handle of her umbrella. She glanced at Kitty again in a shrinking kind of manner, then, with a sudden effort, burst out quickly,--