s a look on her face which made the girls
for the moment feel that they would die for her.

"Come, girls," said their queen--"come; there is room on the platform."

She sprang up the couple of steps without another word, and the girls
followed her.

"Do what you like with Ruth Craven, Miss Mackenzie," she cried; "but put
your questions over again to me, and I will answer them one after the
other. Then expel me and my companions; turn us out of the school, but
keep the girl who would be a credit to you."

CHAPTER XXIX.

END OF THE GREAT REBELLION.

No one quite knew what happened next. Some of the girls went off into
violent hysterics; others rushed out of the great hall, half-fainting;
while others controlled themselves and listened as best they could. The
scene was vivid and picturesque. Mrs. Naylor sobbed quite audibly, and
took hold of Ruth's hand, and even kissed it. But as she did so Kathleen
herself came near and flung her arm round Ruth's neck.

"If you mean to expel Ruth you will expel me," she said. "But won't you
forgive her? If her ideas were wrong, they were at least generous; and
you know that I won't trouble you any more. I am very sorry, but I don't
think that I was made to suit a great school like this, and I give up
the society--yes, absolutely--so you won't have any rebels present in
your midst again. Expel me, but keep her, for she will be the flower of
your school, the greatest ornament, one you will talk of in the dim
years of the future. Don't let me feel that I have spoilt her life."

"But why did you act so, Kathleen O'Hara?" said Miss Mackenzie. "Why did
you, a silly young girl, come over here, a stranger, to ruin the school
and make us all unhappy?"

"I can't answer you that," said Kathleen, flinging out her hands. "I did
what I was made to do. I am a rebel by nature. I believe I shall always
be a rebel. I shall go home to father and mother and tell them I am not
suited for a school like this. But don't expel Ruth, and don't expel the
others."

"But we will all go if you are not kept," suddenly cried one of the
sixty, Kathleen never quite knew which; and suddenly one girl after
another began to speak up for her, and all promised that if Kathleen
were allowed to remain, and if the whole story of the great rebellion
was allowed to blow over, they would work as they had never done before.
They wanted their queen to stay with them. Would the governors forgive
their queen, just b