Her husband was no doubt dead, so Gaston thought
that as soon as she had settled down he would begin to pay his court
to her, and without doubt would be accepted, for this confident
young man never for a moment dreamed of failure. Meanwhile he sent
all Kitty's wardrobe after her as she went with the Wopples family,
and the poor girl, taking this as a mark of renewed affection, wrote
him a very tearful little note, which M. Vandeloup threw into the
fire. Then he looked about and ultimately got a very handsome suite
of rooms in Clarendon Street, East Melbourne. He furnished these
richly, and having invested his money in good securities, prepared
to enjoy himself.
Kitty, meanwhile, had become a great favourite with the Wopples
family, and they made a wonderful pet of her. Of course, being in
Rome, she did as the Romans did, and went on the stage as Miss
Kathleen Wopples, being endowed with the family name for dramatic
reasons. The family were now on tour among the small towns of
Victoria, and seemed to be well-known, as each member got a
reception when he or she appeared on the stage. Mr Theodore Wopples
used to send his agent ahead to engage the theatre--or more often a
hall--bill the town, and publish sensational little notices in the
local papers. Then when the family arrived Mr Wopples, who was
really a gentleman and well-educated, called on all the principal
people of the town and so impressed them with the high class
character of the entertainment that he never failed to secure their
patronage.
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