▁to ▁dram at ics . ▁She ▁eventually ▁gets ▁wise ▁and ▁divor ces ▁him , ▁but ▁not ▁until ▁he ▁has ▁ru ined ▁her ▁with ▁extra v ag ant ▁sp ending ▁and ▁she ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁business ▁to ▁Miss ▁Kn ag . ▁M antal ini ▁is ▁seen ▁again ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁living ▁in ▁much ▁reduced ▁circumstances , ▁rom ant ically ▁tied ▁to ▁a ▁was her w oman , ▁but ▁still ▁up ▁to ▁his ▁old ▁tr icks . ▁Miss ▁Kn ag : ▁Mrs ▁M antal ini ' s ▁right - hand ▁woman ▁and ▁the ▁chief ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁show room . ▁Miss ▁Kn ag ▁is ▁well ▁into ▁middle ▁age ▁but ▁is ▁under ▁the ▁impression ▁that ▁she ▁is ▁exception ally ▁beautiful . ▁When ▁Kate ▁begins ▁her ▁employ ment ▁with ▁the ▁M antal in is , ▁Miss ▁Kn ag ▁is ▁quite ▁kind ▁to ▁her ▁because ▁the ▁younger ▁woman ▁is ▁cl ums y , ▁making ▁Miss ▁Kn ag ▁look ▁more ▁accomplished ▁by ▁comparison . ▁But ▁when ▁she ▁is ▁ins ult ed ▁by ▁a ▁dis gr unt led ▁customer ▁who ▁pre fers ▁to ▁be ▁served ▁by ▁Kate , ▁she ▁bl ames ▁Kate ▁and ▁o stra ci zes ▁her . ▁She ▁takes ▁over ▁the ▁business ▁when ▁the ▁M antal in is ▁go ▁bank rupt , ▁immediately ▁firing ▁Kate . ▁A ▁spin ster , ▁she ▁lives ▁with ▁her ▁brother ▁Mort imer , ▁a ▁failed ▁novel ist . ▁The ▁Ken wig s ▁family : ▁New man ▁N og gs ' s ▁neighb ors . ▁Mr ▁Ken wig s