? Stand just
there.--Girls, you can all see Ruth Craven, can you not?"

The girls held up their hands in token that they could.

"I will therefore at once proceed to question her," continued Miss
Mackenzie.

There was just a moment's pause, and during that complete silence a
dreadful rushing noise came into Kathleen O'Hara's head. The floor for
an instant seemed to rise up as though it would strike her; then she
felt composed, but very cold and white. She fixed her eyes full on Ruth.

"I will hear her out. I must hear the thing out," she kept saying to
herself. "Afterwards--afterwards--But I must hear the whole thing out."

Miss Mackenzie turned, and in a very emphatic voice began to question.

"You are prepared to reply to the following questions?" she said.

Ruth's very steady eyes were raised; she fixed them on Miss Mackenzie.
Her lips were firmly shut. Nothing could be quieter than her attitude;
she did not show a trace of emotion. Always pale, she looked a little
paler now than her wont. Her darks eyes seemed to darken and grow full
of intense emotion; otherwise no one could have told that she was
suffering or feeling anything in particular.

"But I know what she is going through," thought Kathleen. She clenched
her hands so tightly that the nails went into the delicate flesh. She
was glad of the pain; it kept her from screaming aloud.

"The first question I have to ask," said Miss Mackenzie, "is this: How
many of the foundation girls have joined the rebels?"

Ruth came a step nearer.

"How many? I can't quite hear you."

"I am sorry," said Ruth then, "but I can't tell you."

Miss Mackenzie, without any show of emotion, immediately entered Ruth's
answer in a little book which she held in her hand.

"Oh, don't, Miss Mackenzie! Don't be harsh," gasped little Mrs. Naylor.

Miss Mackenzie, as though she had not heard the voice of her sister
governor, proceeded:

"What is the name of the founder of the society?"

"I am not prepared to say," replied Ruth.

Again this answer was recorded.

"Can you give me an exact account of the rules of the society, its
motives, its bearing generally?"

The same negative reply was the result of this question.

"Do you know anything whatever of the disgraceful escapade which took
place last night, when a certain number of the members of this society
went to London and returned by themselves at midnight?"

Ruth's face cleared a little at this question.

"I cann