“Why, have you got into a scrape, Ruth?  Is that why you look so pale and excited and distressed?” said Cassandra.

She spoke in a whisper.  Ruth’s eyes looked full into hers.

“God help me,” she said under her breath.—­“Cassie, if you knew, if you could guess, you’d pity me.”

Ruth turned away and followed the teacher into the school.  A moment later she was standing before the head-mistress.

“Now, Ruth,” said that lady, “I have given you as long a time as possible.  Are you prepared to tell me what you know of the Wild Irish Girls?”

Ruth was silent.

“I can’t give you any further time.  There is to be a meeting of the governors at four o’clock this afternoon—­a special meeting, convened in a hurry in order to look into this very matter.  If you don’t tell me in private what you can tell me, I shall be obliged to ask you to appear before the governors.  In that case it would be a matter of insurrection on your part, and it is very doubtful if you would be allowed to remain in the school.”

“It is very cruel to me,” began Ruth.

“My dear, the path of right is sometimes cruel.  We must put this matter down with a strong hand.  Do you or do you not know where Kathleen O’Hara and her society are to meet this evening?”

“I’ve been thinking it out,” said Ruth; “I have had no one to consult.  If I were to tell I should be a traitor to Kathleen.  I did not care for the society, although I love her.  I joined it at first—­I can’t quite tell you how—­but afterwards I left it.  I left it entirely for my own benefit.  There is a girl in this school whom you all love and respect.  I don’t suppose any other girl in the whole school bears such a high character.  Her name is Cassandra Weldon.”

“Of course I know Cassandra Weldon,” said the head-mistress.  “She is our head girl.”

“She is; and she is not proud, and she is—­oh, so kind!  She offered me a very great help.  She presented to me a tremendous temptation.”

“What was that, Ruth?”

Miss Ravenscroft began by being cold and indifferent; she was now really interested.

“You can sit down if you like,” she said.

But Ruth did not sit; she only put one pretty little hand on the back of a chair as though to steady herself.

“I will tell you everything that concerns myself,” she said.  “I don’t mind how badly you think of me.  I had joined the other foundationers as a member of Kathleen’s society.  Then Cassandra presented the temptation.  She offered to give me the services of her coach, Miss Renshaw, to work up for the Ayldice Scholarship.  That means sixty pounds a year.  We are poor at home, Miss Ravenscroft.  My grandfather and grandmother are very poor people; but my father was a gentleman, and my mother was a lady, and their great longing in life was to have me well educated.  My grandparents can scarcely afford the expense of keeping me in this