to go to
her immediately in town. I got your note after I had read the telegram.
It seemed to me that I ought to go first to my aunt. She is my mother's
own sister, and such a darling. You couldn't but love her if you saw
her. You might think me a little rude not to come to you when you sent
for me, but Aunt Katie would have been hurt--terribly, fearfully hurt.
She might even have cried."

Kathleen raised her brows as she said the last word; her face expressed
consternation and a trifle of amazement. Miss Ravenscroft felt as though
smiles were very near.

"Even suppose your aunt had cried," she said, "your duty was to me as
your head-mistress."

"Please," said Kathleen, "I did not think it was. I thought my duty was
to my aunt."

Miss Ravenscroft was silent for a minute.

"My dear," she said then gently, "you are new to the school. You have
doubtless indulged in a very free-and-easy and unconventional life in
your own country. I was once in Ireland, in the west, and I liked the
people and the land, and the ways of the people and the looks of the
land, and for the sake of that visit I am not going to be hard on a
little Irish girl during her first sojourn in the school. In future,
Kathleen O'Hara, I must insist on instant obedience. I will forgive you
for your disregard of my message last night, but if ever I require you
again I shall expect you to come to me at once. For the present we will
forget last night."

"Thank you, madam. I am sure I should love you very much if I knew you
well."

"That is not the question, my dear. I must insist on your treating me
with respect. It is not very easy to know the head-mistress; the girls
know her up to a certain point, but personal friendship as between one
woman and another cannot quite exist between a little girl and her
head-mistress. Yes, my dear, I hope you will love me, but in the sense
of one who is set in authority over you. That is my position, and I hope
as long as I live to do my duty. Now then, Kathleen, I will speak to you
about the other matter which obliged me to send you a message last
night."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Kathleen. She looked down, so that the fun in
her eyes could not be seen.

"I am sure from your face that you will not tell me a lie."

"No," said Kathleen, "I won't tell you a lie."

"I must, however, ask you one or two direct questions. Is it true that
you have encouraged certain girls in this school--"

"Oh, I encourage all the g