low already, I should not have scrupled to have banged upon the door that had been closed on me, or even tried to scale the gate, to plead with my old mistress from the top of it. Perhaps I considered such things, in the moments that I stood, stunned and snivelling, in that dark and lonely alley. But I had seen the look that Diana had turned on me - a look that was devoid of any fire, kind or lustful. Worse, I had seen the expressions upon the faces of her friends. How could I go to them, and ever hope to walk before them again, handsome and proud?
The thought made me weep still harder; I might have sat and wept before that gate, perhaps, till dawn. But after a moment there came a movement at my side, and I looked up to see Zena standing there, with her hands across her breast, her face very pale. In all my agony, I had forgotten her. Now I said, ''Oh, Zena! What an end to it all! What are we to do?''
''What are we to do?'' she answered: she sounded not at all like her old self. ''What are we to do? I know what / should do. I should leave you here, and hope that woman comes back for you, and takes you in and treats you nasty. It''s all you deserve!''
''Oh, she won''t come back for me - will she?''
332
''No, of course she won''t; nor for me, either. See where all your soft talk has landed us! Out in the dark, on the coldest night in January, with not a hat nor even a pair of drawers; nor even a handkerchief! I wish I was in gaol. You have lost me my place, you have lost me my character. You have lost me my seven pounds'' wages, what I was keeping for the colonies - oh! What a fool I was, to let you kiss me! What a fool you was, to think the mistress wouldn''t - oh! I could hit you!''