Accordingly she went into her mother’s room and stood by the window.  Now the window of Mrs. Tennant’s bedroom looked also into the garden, and was really parallel with the window by which Kathleen meant to escape.  There was an interval of silence, and then Alice had her reward! for the window of their mutual bedroom was flung wide open, and Kathleen, neatly dressed, appeared on the window-sill.  She looked around her for a minute.  Alice caught a glimpse of her bright face by the light of the moon, which was already getting up in the sky.  The next minute Kathleen caught firm hold of the arm of old ivy and let herself down deftly and quickly to the ground.  The action was done so neatly, and in fact so beautifully, that Alice in spite of herself felt inclined to cry “Bravo!” She knew that if she were to trust herself to that ivy she would probably fall to the bottom and get, if not really killed, at least half so.  But Kathleen stood serenely on the ground, and glanced up at the window from which she had let herself down.  Just at that moment Alice rushed into their bedroom.  Kathleen had shut the window behind her before she trusted herself to the ivy; she had also unlocked the door.  In a moment Alice had put on her hat and jacket, had rushed downstairs, opened the hall door, and was following Kathleen across the common.  Now, quite the nearest way to the railway station was across the common.  Kathleen walked fast.

“Kathleen, Kathleen!” cried Alice.

Kathleen looked behind her.  She saw Alice, and took to her heels.

“No, no, Kathleen; I will follow you until I drop.  You must let me come up with you.”

But Kathleen made no answer.  If she could do anything well, she could run in a race.  Her swift feet scarcely touched the ground.  She ran and ran.  How soon would Alice get tired?  She did not dare to go to the railway station as long as she was following.  And the time to catch the train was very short.  At the other side of the common was a long, narrow, winding passage which, after a quarter of a mile of tortuous turning, led right up a back-way to the great terminus.  Kathleen had given herself exactly the right length of time.  Had nothing happened to hinder her, she would have been on the platform three minutes before the train came in.  For reasons of her own she did not wish to be long there.  She had crossed the common when she looked behind her; Alice was still running, but she was also in the distance.

“If I could only double, hide for a minute, and make her give up the chase, all would be well,” thought the mischievous Irish girl.

There was a great tree, which cast a huge shadow, just before the winding passage was reached.  Kathleen darted towards it.  In an instant she had climbed up and was seated securely in one of its lower branches.

“Now, if only she will be quick, she will run past me into the passage.  She will never get to the end in time.  I shall slip down and go the long way.  I know it is a good bit farther, but she is not in it with me as far as running is concerned,” was Kathleen’s thought.