“Can that be the post?” she said; but as no one replied, she forgot the circumstance and went on with her mending.

A few doors down the street Susy Hopkins was waiting for Kathleen.

“Oh, there you are!” she said.  “We are so excited!  There will be about eight of us waiting for you in the old quarry.  You are good to come.  You don’t know what this means in our lives.  You are good—­you are wonderfully good.”

“Where’s the quarry?” asked Kathleen.  “You have chosen such a funny place.  I should not have imagined that a quarry—­a dear, romantic quarry—­could be found anywhere in this neighborhood.”

“Yes, but there is, and a good big one, too.  It is about half a mile away, just at the back of Colliers’ Buildings.  It is the safest place you can possibly imagine, for no one will ever look for us there.  Now do be quick; we will find the others before us.  You can’t think how excited we are.”

“Oh, I’m willing to be quick,” replied Kathleen.  “I am doing all this for you, you know, because I am sorry for the foundationers, and think it so very ridiculous that there should be distinctions made.  Why, you are quite as good as the others.  They are none of them much to boast of.”

“What fun this is!” cried Susy again.  “I assure you the paying girls think no end of themselves.  They are under the supposition that there never were such fine ladies to be found in the land before.  Oh, we will take it out of them, sha’n’t we?”

Kathleen made no reply.  Presently they reached the opening that led into the quarry.  They had to go down a narrow sloping path, and then by a doorway cut in the solid rock.  After they had passed through they found themselves in a large circular cavern open to the sky.  There was no moon and the night was dark; but one girl had brought a lantern.  She opened it and placed it on the ground; a bright shaft of light now fell on several young figures all huddled together.  Susy gave a sharp whistle; the girls started to their feet.

“Here we are, girls.  See, this is our queen,” and she presented Kathleen to the assembled girls.

“Does the queen mind our looking at her face in turns?” said Kate Rourke.  “I have not specially noticed you before,” she continued, “but after we have each had a good stare we will know what sort of girl you are.”

For reply Kathleen herself lifted the lantern and flung the full light upon her radiant and lovely face and figure.  The intense light made her golden hair shine, and brought out the delicate perfection of each feature; the merry eyes framed in their dark lashes, the gleaming white teeth, the rosy lips were all apparent.  But beyond the mere beauty of feature Kathleen had to a remarkable degree the far more fascinating beauty of expression:  her face was capable of almost every shade of emotion, being sorrowful and pathetic one moment, and brimful of irrepressible mirth and roguery the next.