 Astonished and deeply bruised by the discovery , Nan wanders the streets of London , finally holing herself in a filthy boarding house for weeks in a state of madness until her funds run out . After spying the male costumes she took as her only memory of her time with Kitty , Nan begins to walk the streets of London as a man and easily passes . She is solicited by a man for sex and begins renting , but dressed only as a man for male clients , never letting them know she is a woman . She meets a socialist activist named Florence who lives near the boarding house , but before she can get to know her , Nan is hired by a wealthy widow with licentious tastes named Diana . Although realising — and initially enjoying — that she is an object to Diana and her friends , Nan stays with her for over a year as " Neville " , dressed in the finest men 's clothes Diana can afford . The relationship erodes , however , and Diana throws Nan into the streets . 
