r, in the dead of night, they were to meet in this sequestered
spot. They knew well that if they were discovered they would run a very
great chance of being expelled from the school; for although they were
day scholars, yet integrity of conduct was essential to their
maintaining their place in that great school which gave them so liberal
an education, in some cases without any fees, in all other cases with
very small ones. One of the great ideas of the school was to encourage
brave actions, unselfish deeds, nobility of mind. Those girls who
possessed any talent or any specially strong characteristic had every
chance offered to them in the Great Shirley School; their futures were
more or less assured, for the governors of the school had powers to give
grants to the clever girls, to award scholarships for which all might
compete, and to encourage industry, honesty, and charitable ideas as far
as possible.

Kathleen, when she entered the school and started her society, had not
the slightest idea that, while she was trying to help the foundationers,
she was really leading them into very grave mischief. But several of the
foundationers themselves knew this; nevertheless the fun of the whole
thing, the particular fascination which Kathleen herself exercised over
her followers, kept them her undeniable slaves, and not for the world
would any of them have left her now that they had sworn fealty to her
cause. So Kathleen had thought when she left the house that morning; but
as she entered the school she knew that one girl, and that the girl whom
she most cared for, had decided to choose the thorny path which led far
from Kathleen and her company.

"In addition to everything else, she is quite mean," thought the little
girl, and during that morning's lessons she occupied herself far more in
flashing angry glances in the direction of Ruth one minute, and at
Cassandra the next, than in attending to what she was about. Kathleen
had been given much by Nature. Her father was a very rich man; she had
been brought up with great freedom, but also with certain bold liberal
ideas as regards the best in life and conduct. She was a very beautiful
girl, and she was warm-hearted and amiable. As for her talents, she had
a certain charm which does more for a woman than any amount of ordinary
ability; and she had a passionate and great love for music. Kathleen's
musical genius was already spoken of with much approbation by the rest
of the school