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.

"Girls of the Great Shirley School," she said, "your head-mistress, Miss
Ravenscroft, has conveyed to you a message from me and from the other
governors. The message is to the effect that if those silly girls who
have allied themselves to that most ridiculous society, the Wild Irish
Girls, will give the name of their leader, they shall be forgiven. Do
you accept, foundationers, or do you decline?"

Dead silence ensued.

"I presume," said Miss Mackenzie after a pause of a full minute, "that