next few days. Now you understand. Remember that what I have
said to you is said in the interest of the school, and absolutely behind
closed doors. You are not to repeat it to anybody. You can go now,
Alice Tennant. Personally I am pleased with you. I like your manner; I
hear good accounts of your attention to lessons. In pleasing me you will
please the governors of the school, and doubtless be able to help
yourself and your mother, a most worthy lady, in the long run."

"I am very much obliged to you," said Alice. "You have spoken kind words
to me; but what you have set me to do is not at all to my taste. It
seems scarcely fair, for I must say that I don't like Kathleen. She and
I have never got on. It seems scarcely fair that I should be the one to
run her to earth."

"The fairness or the unfairness of the question is not now to be
discussed," said Miss Ravenscroft.

She rose as she spoke.

"You are unfortunately in the position of her most intimate friend," she
continued, "for you and she live in the same house. Regard what you have
to do as an unpleasant duty, and don't consider yourself in any way
responsible for being forced into the position which one would not, as a
rule, advocate. The simplest plan is to get the girl herself to make a
full confession to me; but in any case, you understand, _I must know_."

CHAPTER XVI.

KATHLEEN TAKES RUTH TO TOWN.

When Kathleen ran upstairs her heart was bubbling over with the first
real fierce anger she had almost ever felt in her life. She was a
spirited, daring girl, but she also had a sweet temper. Now her anger
was roused. Her heart beat fast; she clenched one of her hands.

"Oh, if I had Alice here, wouldn't I give it to her?" she said to
herself. "If I had that detestable Miss Ravenscroft here, wouldn't I
give her a piece of my mind? How dare she order me about? Am I not
Kathleen O'Hara of Carrigrohane? Is not my father a sort of king in old
Ireland? And what is she? I'll prove to her that I defy her. I will go
to see Aunt Katie O'Flynn; nothing shall keep me back."

Carried away by the wild wave of passion which consumed her, Kathleen
dressed hastily for her expedition. She was indifferent now as to what
she wore. She put on the first head-dress which came to hand, buttoned a
rough, shabby-looking jacket over her velvet dress, snatched up her
purse which lay in a drawer, and without waiting for either gloves or
necktie, ran downstairs and out of the