, I am that girl."

"Oh, my!" said Susy Hopkins. "That does sound romantic."

Her momentary dislike to Kathleen had vanished. The desire to go to the
town on a message for her mother had completely left her. She stood
still, as though fascinated.

"I live there," said Kathleen--"that is, I do when I am at home. I come
from the land of the mountain and the stream; of the shamrock; of the
deep, deep blue sea."

"Ireland? Are you Irish?" said the girl.

"I am proud to say that I am."

"We don't think anything of the Irish here."

"Oh, don't you?"

"But don't be angry, please," continued Susy, "for I am sure you are
very nice."

"I am nice when I like. To-day I am nasty. I am wicked to-day--quite
wicked; I could hate any one who opposes me. I want some one to help me;
if some one will help me, I will be nice to that person. Will you?"

"Oh, my word, yes! How handsome you look when you flash your eyes!"
said Susy Hopkins.

"Then I want to find that dear little girl, who is so beautiful that I
love her and can't get her out of my head. I want to find Ruth Craven.
She went away with a horrid, stiff, pokery girl called Cassandra Weldon.
You have such strange names in your country. That horrid, prim Cassandra
chose to correct me when I came into school, and she has taken my
darling away--the only one I love in the whole of England. I want to
find her. I will give you--- I will give you an Irish diamond set in a
brooch if you will help me."

This sounded a very grand offer indeed to Susy Hopkins, who lived in the
most modest way, and had not a jewel of any sort in her possession.

"I will help you. I will, and I can. I know where Miss Weldon lives. I
can take you to her house."

"But I want Ruth."

"If she has taken Ruth home, she will be at Cassandra's house," said
Susy.

"And you can take me there?"

"This blessed minute."

"All right; come along."

"When will you give me the diamond set in the brooch?"

"It isn't a real diamond, you know. It is an Irish diamond set in
silver--real silver. My old nurse had it made for me, and I wear it
sometimes. I will bring it to you to school to-morrow."

"Oh, thank you--thank you, Miss--I forgot your name."

"O'Hara--Kathleen O'Hara."

"O'Hara is rather a difficult name to say. May I call you Kathleen?"

"Just as you please, Susan. It is more handy for me to say Susan than
Hopkins. As long as I am in England I must consort, I see, with all
kinds of people; a