Miss Ravenscroft ceased speaking.

“Is that all?” said Kathleen.

“What do you mean?  I want your promise.”

“But I have nothing to say.”

“You are not stupid, Kathleen O’Hara—­I can see that—­and I should hope you were too much of a lady to be impertinent.  What do you mean to do?”

“Indeed,” said Kathleen, “I don’t mean to be impertinent, and I don’t want to tell a lie.  The best way on the present occasion is to be silent.  I can’t give myself or the other girls in the school away.  You ask me to make you a promise.  I cannot make that promise.  I am sorry.  Perhaps I had better leave the school.”

“No, Kathleen, you cannot leave it in the ordinary way.  You are connected with other girls now; your influence must be publicly withdrawn.  I had hoped to spare you this, but if you defy me you know the consequences.”

“May I go now?” said Kathleen.

“You may—­for the present.  I must consult with the other teachers.  It may even be necessary to call a meeting of the Board of Governors.  Your conduct requires stringent measures.  But, my child”—­and here Miss Ravenscroft changed her voice to one of gentleness and entreaty—­“you will not be so silly, so wicked, so perverse.  Kathleen, it is sometimes a hard thing to give up your own way, but I think an Irish girl can be noble.  You will be very noble now if you cease to belong to the Irish Girls’ Society.”

“‘Wild Irish Girls’ is the name,” said Kathleen.

“You must give it up.  It was a mad and silly scheme.  You must have nothing more to do with it.”

Kathleen slightly shook her head.  Miss Ravenscroft uttered a deep sigh.

“I am afraid I must go,” said Kathleen.  “I think you have spoken to me very kindly; I should like to have been able to oblige you.”

“And you won’t?”

Kathleen shook her head again.  The next moment she had left the room.

The school was nearly over; but whether it had been or not, Kathleen had not the slightest idea of returning to her class-room.  She stood for a moment in one of the corridors to collect her thoughts; then going to the room where the hats and jackets hung on pegs, she took down her own, put them on, and left the school.  She walked fast and reached Mrs. Tennant’s house at a quarter to one.  Both Mrs. Tennant and Miss O’Flynn were out.  There was a message for Kathleen to say that Miss O’Flynn expected her to be ready to go to town with her immediately after dinner.  Kathleen smiled to herself.

“Dear Aunt Katie!  She must get me out of this scrape.  But as to thinking of giving up girls whom I meant to help, and will help, I wouldn’t do it for twenty Miss Ravenscrofts.”  She stood at the door of the house; then a sudden idea struck her, and as she saw the girls; filing out of the school, she crossed the common and met Susy Hopkins, her satchel of books flung across her shoulder.