are admitted free; they pay nothing in hard cash for what they receive.  They are taught liberally; they have the best rooms, the best laboratories; the best music, the best art, are supplied to them.  If they have talent they have every chance of bringing it to the fore, for the education is thorough and generous.  But the school does even more than this.  It opens up scholarships—­many scholarships—­of great value for those special girls who call themselves foundationers.  Now my dear girls of the Great Shirley School, you must clearly understand that no establishment of this kind can be worked except on certain lines, and these lines mean order, method, and obedience.  Rules must be made, and these rules at any cost must be obeyed.  These rules are made not only to enable the girls to get the best possible education out of the school, but also that the greater education of mind and heart, which alone can build up a fine and useful character, may not be neglected.  That sort of education can only be given by conforming to principles.  Now, there are certain principles which every girl who comes into this school is bound to adhere to.  She is bound on all occasions to behave with sobriety, with a sense of modesty and true womanly feeling; she is never, if she is a true member of the school, to join herself to rebels who do not believe in its rules.  Now, there is not the slightest doubt that the society which you girls—­a certain number of you—­have joined is rebellious, has bad effects, and has rules of its own which are absolutely contrary to the rules of the Great Shirley School.  It is impossible for you to be members of this society and to be members of the Great Shirley School.  If, therefore, you do not immediately forsake that society, and immediately promise here and now that you will give it up forever, we shall have the painful duty of expelling you from the school.  You have a few minutes in which to decide.  Nobody wants to be hard on you; nobody wants to be hard on your founder, although she must no longer take her place as a member of this school; but if you don’t confess, very stringent and terrible methods will have to be resorted to.”

Miss Ravenscroft here resumed her seat.  There was a faint applause which came from different parts of the room, but was not unanimous, and soon died away.  After that there was silence.  Miss Mackenzie bent forward and made some notes in a little black book which she held upon her lap.  Mrs. Naylor took her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes; the other governors looked depressed and uneasy.  Meanwhile Miss Ravenscroft sat with her eyes fixed on the different girls in their different forms.  There was no movement.  Kathleen drew herself up proudly.

“They’re not quite such cads,” she said under her breath.

But just as the thought came to her, Miss Mackenzie, the woman most respected and most dreaded in the whole of Merrifield, rose slowly to her feet.