KITTY: Was ever anyone so wretched as I? Only three months married, and
to find my husband an obstinate, vindictive, strait-laced country
bumpkin! Well, not a bumpkin perhaps, after all, but almost as bad as
that! Why, oh! why did I leave my happy home, where I could do what I
liked from morning till night, and no one was ever disagreeable to me?
And yet during my engagement what a lovely time I had! Jem seemed so
kind and gentle, and promised me he would never say a cross word to me!
He declared our married life should be one long sunshiny summer day;
whilst I promised to be his little ministering angel! I reminded him of
that yesterday. And what did he say? That he had never thought a little
ministering angel could be such a little brute! I can hardly believe he
is the same man I used to love so dearly! (_Exit in tears._)
(_After a moment, PORTER, the lady's-maid, enters, ushering in LADY
FLORENCE BEAUCHAMP._)
LADY FLO: Your mistress is not here, after all, Porter?
PORTER: No, milady! Yet I heard her voice only a few moments ago.
LADY FLO: Well then, Porter, you must go and tell her a lady wishes to
speak with her in the boudoir, and be sure not to say who the "lady" is,
however much she may ask. I wish this visit to be a little surprise to
her. Nor must you mention that Sir William is here.
(_Enter KITTY, with traces of tears on her face._)
LADY FLO: Kitty, darling, Kitty!