ain quarry a
short distance out of town. What they do at their meetings I cannot
tell, but I believe they are very riotous, with singing and dancing and
sports of all sorts. Of course, as you know, Miss Mackenzie, such
proceedings are altogether prohibited in our school."

"But this takes place out of school," said Mrs. Naylor.

"Mrs. Naylor, I should be much obliged if you would allow Miss
Ravenscroft to continue," said Miss Mackenzie.

Miss Ravenscroft did continue.

"Putting aside that question," she said, "the effect on the girls is
most disastrous. They are completely out of my control, and I know for a
fact that they do not care to please any one except Kathleen O'Hara."

"Of course our duty is plain," said Miss Mackenzie. "We must get the
ringleader into custody, so to speak, and either bind her over to break
up the society, and so keep the peace, or expel her from the school."

"She is a difficult girl to deal with," said Miss Ravenscroft. "She has
a great deal that is good in her; she is handsome and rich, very
affectionate, and full of spirit."

"But what has a girl who is handsome and rich to do in a school like the
Great Shirley?" asked Mrs. Ross.

"That is the curious part of it. Kathleen's mother was educated in this
school, and she made up her mind that her daughter should never go to
any other. Kathleen lives with the Tennants. I should be sorry if she
were expelled; there is so much that is good in her. It would be a pity
to harden her or hold her up to public disgrace. I hope some other way
may be discovered of bringing her to order."

"You are quite right. Miss Ravenscroft," said Miss Smyth. "I never did
hold with the severe hardening process."

"Certainly in the case of Kathleen it would do no good," said Miss
Ravenscroft.

"But what do you propose to do, then?" said Miss Mackenzie. "You have
not, I presume, asked us to come here without having some plan in your
head."

"The first thing to do is to get hold of all possible facts," said Miss
Ravenscroft. "Now, there is one girl in the school who could tell us--a
charming girl, a new girl--for she also only joined this term--but in
all respects the opposite of Kathleen O'Hara. She for a short time
belonged to the rebels, as I must call the Wild Irish Girls, but she saw
the folly of her conduct and left them. She could tell us all about them
if she liked, and help us to bring the insurrection to an end."

"Then that is capital," said Mis