“This is fun,” she said.  “It is so awfully nice to have met you!  Do you know that Miss Ravenscroft—­the Great Unknown, as we Wild Irish Girls call her—­had the cheek to send me a letter?”

Ruth looked attentive and grave.

“She wanted me to go and see her at six o’clock.  Well, it is half-past six now, and she will have to whistle for me.  Ruth, darling, you don’t know how pretty you look; and even though you have deserted me, and won’t join my darling, beloved society, yet I shall always love you.”

Here Kathleen seated herself near Ruth and flung one arm around her waist.

“But,” said Ruth, disentangling herself from Kathleen’s embrace, “you don’t mean that Miss Ravenscroft—­Miss Ravenscroft—­wanted you to go and see her and you didn’t go?”

“No, I didn’t go.  Why should I go?  Miss Ravenscroft has nothing whatever to do with me.”

“Oh, Kathleen! she is your mistress—­the head-mistress of the Great Shirley School.”

“Well, and what about that?  Aunty—­my darling, my own dear, sweet aunt Katie O’Flynn—­sent me a telegram to meet her in town.  She is at the Hotel Metropole.  Ruth, do you know where it is?”

“I haven’t the most remote idea.”

“Oh, well, we’ll get there somehow.  Never mind now; don’t look so worried.  I shall be sorry I asked you to come with me if you look any graver.”

“But you make me feel grave, Kathleen,” said Ruth.  “Oh, Kathleen, I can’t tell how you puzzle me.  Of course, I know that you are very pretty and fascinating, and that lots and lots of girls love you, and will always love you.  You are a sort of queen in the school.  Perhaps you are not the greatest queen, but still you are a queen, and you could lead the whole school.”

“That would be rather fun,” said Kathleen.

“But you’d have to change a good bit.  You’d have to be just as fascinating, just as pretty, but different somehow—­I mean—­”

“Oh, do tell me what you mean, and be quick.  We’ll be in London before long.”

“You wouldn’t disobey Miss Ravenscroft if you were to be our real queen.”

“Then I’ll not be your queen, darling, for I shall disobey Miss Ravenscroft when it comes to a case of obliging her or dear, darling, precious aunty.”

Ruth said no more.  In her heart of hearts she was very much distressed.  She was sorry for her own sake that she had met Kathleen, and that she was going with her to London; but on the other hand she was glad that she was with the girl, who by herself might have got into a serious scrape.

Finally the two found themselves standing, very forlorn and slightly frightened, on one of the big platforms at Charing Cross.

“Now what are we to do?” said Kathleen.

“We must ask the way, of course,” was Ruth’s answer.  “Here is a porter who looks kind.”

She went up to the man.

“Have you any luggage in the van, miss?” was the immediate inquiry.