ien ces . ▁Nicholas ▁enjo ys ▁a ▁fl irt ation ▁with ▁his ▁Jul iet , ▁the ▁lov ely ▁Miss ▁S ne vel lic i . ▁ ▁Back ▁in ▁London , ▁Mr ▁M antal ini ' s ▁reck less ▁sp ending ▁has ▁bank rupted ▁his ▁wife . ▁Madame ▁M antal ini ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁her ▁business ▁to ▁Miss ▁Kn ag , ▁whose ▁first ▁order ▁of ▁business ▁is ▁to ▁fire ▁Kate . ▁She ▁finds ▁employ ment ▁as ▁the ▁companion ▁of ▁the ▁social - cl im bing ▁Mrs ▁W itt iter ly . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Sir ▁Mul berry ▁Haw k ▁begins ▁a ▁plot ▁to ▁hum ili ate ▁Kate ▁for ▁ref using ▁his ▁adv ances . ▁He ▁uses ▁Lord ▁Frederick , ▁who ▁is ▁inf atu ated ▁with ▁her , ▁to ▁discover ▁where ▁she ▁lives ▁from ▁Ralph . ▁He ▁is ▁about ▁to ▁succeed ▁in ▁this ▁plot ▁when ▁Mrs . ▁Nick le by ▁enters ▁Ralph ' s ▁office , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁ra kes ▁switch ▁their ▁att ent ions ▁from ▁Kate ' s ▁uncle ▁to ▁her ▁mother , ▁successfully ▁w orm ing ▁their ▁way ▁into ▁Mrs ▁Nick le by ' s ▁company ▁and ▁gain ing ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁W itt iter ly ▁house . ▁Mrs . ▁W itt iter ly ▁grows ▁je alous ▁and ▁ad mon ishes ▁Kate ▁for ▁fl ir ting ▁with ▁the ▁no blem en . ▁The ▁unf air ness ▁of ▁this ▁accus ation ▁makes ▁Kate ▁so ▁angry ▁that ▁she ▁re bu kes ▁her ▁employ er , ▁who ▁f lies ▁into ▁a ▁fit ▁of ▁h yst