kathleen returned quite safely to myrtle lodge. ben was sitting up for her; he opened the door. the hall was quite dark. he held out his hand and drew her in.
"am not i splendid?" he said. "i have been standing here for half-an-hour, all drenched with perspiration. if mother came down" what wouldn't she say? and as to alice, she'd be even worse. but a sov.'s worth doing something for. i say! i do feel happy! i never had all that lot of bullion in the whole course of my life before. are you right now, kathleen—can you slip upstairs without making any noise? don't forget that the step just before you reach the upper landing gives a great creak like the report of a pistol; hop over it on to the landing itself, and you are safe. alice is in bed, snoring like anything; i listened outside the keyhole."
"thanks," said kathleen. "i'm awfully obliged to you, ben. see if i don't do something for you. you are a broth of a boy. what do you say to carrigrohane in the summer, and a gun all to yourself? i'll teach you how to shoot rabbits and to bring down a bird on the wing."
she brushed her lips against his cheek, and ran lightly upstairs. she escaped the treacherous second step, and entered her bedroom without waking alice. the bolster carefully manipulated had done its work; it had never occurred to alice that the form in the bed was anything but the living form of kathleen o'hara. she had shaded the light from what she supposed to be the sleeping girl, and got into bed herself feeling tired and sulky. she had dropped asleep immediately.
kathleen's first step, therefore, towards the formation of a secret society in the great shirley school was marked with success. the idea which she had formulated in the old quarry spread like wildfire amongst the foundationers; but kathleen was determined not to have another meeting for nearly a week. she wished to hear from her father; she wanted to have money in hand.
"they are all poor," she thought. "if i appear just as poor as they are, i shall never be able to keep my exalted position as queen. we cannot have our next meeting until i have drawn up the rules, and i should like ruth craven to help me. she has got sense. i don't want the thing to be riotous, nor to do harm in any way. i just want us to have a bit of fun, and to teach the horrid paying girls of the school a lesson."
the thought of her secret society kept kathleen in a fairly good humor, and she worked at her lessons so well that alice began to have hopes of her. about a week after her arrival at myrtle lodge the box which aunt katie o'flynn was sending from dublin arrived. it came when the girls were at school. when they returned to early dinner they saw it standing in the front hall.
"whatever is this, and why is it put here?" said alice, springing forward to look at the address:
"miss kathleen o'hara, care of mrs. tennant, myrtle lodge."
"golloptious!" cried kathleen. "it's my own. it's my clothes—my sort of a kind of a treasure. oh, what delicious fun! now you will see how smart i can be. maybe there will be something here to fit you, alice. wouldn't you like it? we are going to tea to-night to mrs. weldon's, and ruth craven is to be there. the darling girl—i will give her something. i should love to make her look just as beautiful as she can look. i am not a bit a stingy sort of girl; you know that, alice. i want to be quite generous with my lovely things."
"well, do stop talking," said alice. "i never came across such an inveterate chatterbox. i suppose you'd like to have the box taken up to our room; but i don't think you'll have any time to open it at present. you have promised to come back with me to the school this afternoon, in order that miss spicer may give you a special lesson in music."
"arrah, then, my dear!" cried kathleen, "it isn't me you'll see at school again to-day. it's gloating and fussing over my clothes i will be—portioning out those i mean to give to others, and trying on the ones that will suit me. you can go to your horrid, stupid lessons if you like, but it won't be kathleen o'hara who will accompany you. perhaps the poor tired one would like to have a pleasant afternoon in my bedroom. oh, glory be to goodness! we will have a time. isn't it worth anything to see that blessed trunk? my eyes can almost pierce through the deal and see the lovely garments folded away inside."
alice took no notice; she marched on to her room. kathleen followed her.
"the boys shall bring it up for me immediately after dinner," she said. "i sha'n't be going out again until i go to mrs. weldon's. i expect people will open their eyes when they see me to-night."
"you must please yourself, of course," said alice. "for my part, i am extremely sorry that the trunk has come. you were settling down a little, and were not quite so objectionable as at first."
"thanks awfully, darling," said kathleen, dropping a mock curtsy.
"not quite so objectionable," continued alice in a calm voice. "but now, with all these silly gewgaws, you will be worse titan ever. but please clearly understand that i do not want any of your ornaments."
"don't trouble yourself, darling; they were not made for you. i force my treasures on nobody."
"i wouldn't wear them if you were to give them. i hope i have some proper pride."
"pride of the most proper sort," said kathleen, dancing before her.
"and i do hope, also, that you won't make yourself a merry-andrew or a figure of fun at the weldons' to-night. it will be in extremely bad taste. we are not going to have a large party—just one or two of the mistresses and little ruth craven, who, although she is a foundationer, seems to be a very nice sort of child. it would be in the worst taste possible to wear anything but the simplest clothes."
"all right," said kathleen. "if i am a chatterbox, you are about the greatest preacher, with the most long-winded sermons, that ever entered a house. you are a perfect plague to me, and that is the truth, alice tennant."
alice poured some water into her basin, washed her hands, and went downstairs.
"mother," she said, "i am obliged to be out the whole afternoon. the scholarship examination takes place in six weeks now, and if i am to have any chance of getting through i must not idle a single moment. i grieve to say that a box of finery has arrived for kathleen—most unsuitable, for she has plenty of clothes. i do trust, mother, you will keep her in tow a little this afternoon, and not allow her to make a show of herself."
"you are not very kind to kathleen," said mrs. tennant. "why shouldn't the child enjoy her pretty things? i like to see girls nicely dressed. it is a great trial to me to be obliged to deny you the ribbons and frills and laces which most girls of your age possess."
"thanks, mother," answered alice; "but if you were as rich as crœsus, i should not wish, while i am a schoolgirl, to dress any better than i do."
"you certainly have a great deal of sense, dear; but don't be too hard on the little girl. ah! here she comes. now we must sit down to dinner at once."
during dinner kathleen's eyes sparkled so brightly, and she looked so merry and mysterious, that both the boys gazed at her in wonder.
"don't mind me," she said, whispering to david as she bent towards him. "it's in real downright delight i am. i am expecting to have the most wonderful joy all the afternoon that was ever given a girl. ah, then, it's illegant myself will be when you see me next, boys. and do look at her! i declare she's getting crosser each minute."
"hush, kathleen!" said david. "you must not say unkind things."
"don't trouble to reprove her, david," called out alice in a calm and lofty tone. "i assure you she doesn't annoy me in the least. sometimes i think there is a little gnat flying about and trying to sting me, but that's all."
"and a charming metaphor, too," said kathleen.
she ate her meal soberly, but occasionally a bubble of laughter came to the surface, and her merry eyes glanced from mrs. tennant's face to alice's, and from alice's to those of the boys. the moment the meal came to an end kathleen jumped up.
"now, then, my angels, you come with me," she said, and she caught david by the one hand and ben by the other, and led her willing slaves into the hall.
"did you ever see anything like it?" said alice to her mother. "she will ruin the boys in addition to all her other mischief. mother, must we keep her long? it is really most disturbing."
"if you would only take poor little kathleen as she is, you would find her quite agreeable, alice," was her mother's answer.
"oh dear, mother! you seem to be just as much infatuated as the others. but never mind. i am off now, and i need not be back in the house until it is time to dress to go to mrs. weldon's. i declare that girl is causing me to hate my home. i don't think its fair, whatever you may say to the contrary."
mrs. tennant sighed. alice had always been a little difficult; she was more than difficult at the present moment. but very soon afterwards the welcome bang of the hall door was heard, and the house was free.
"now for a jolly time," said kathleen. "tired one, where are you?"
"kathleen, you ought not to call me by that name. you ought to be more respectful."
"arrah, then, darling, i can't; 'tain't in me. i am so fond of you—oh, worra, worra! there's nothing i wouldn't do for you; but i must be as i'm made. you do look tired, and tired you will go on looking until i take you to carrigrohane to rest you and to feed you with good milk and good fruit and good eggs and good cream.—now then, boys, lift up that trunk. be aisy with it, so that you won't hurt it. take it up to my bedroom and put it on the floor. maybe there's something in it for you, or maybe there isn't—mrs. tennant, acushla! you will come along upstairs with me at once. you can bring your mending basket, and i will pop you into the arm-chair by the window, and we can consult together over the garments. it's fine i'll look when i have them on. aunt katie o'flynn is a woman who has real taste, and i know she is going to dress me up as no other girl ever was dressed before in the great shirley school."
mrs. tennant could not help laughing. the boys were also in the highest good-humor; kathleen's mirth was contagious. they went upstairs to the bedroom, and then ben saucily perched himself on the foot of one of the beds; while david, having brought up a hammer and screwdriver, proceeded to lift the lid of the box, which was firmly nailed down. under the lid was a lot of tissue-paper. kathleen went on her knees, lifted it up, uttered a shout, and turned to the boys.
"you make off now," she said.
"no, indeed i won't," said ben. "i want to see the fun."
"go, both of you. there will be something nice for you when you come back to tea," said kathleen.
they looked regretful, but saw nothing for it but to go. kathleen in a breathless sort of way, scarcely uttering a word, spread out her treasures on the bed. was there ever such a box? skirts, bodices, blouses, shirts; an evening dress, an afternoon dress, a morning dress—they seemed simply endless. then there were frills and ribbons and veils; there were two great, big, very stylish-looking hats, with long plumes; and there was a little toque made of crimson velvet, which kathleen declared was quite too sweet for anything. there were also dozens of handkerchiefs, dozens of pairs of stockings, and some sweet little slippers all embroidered and fit for the most bewitching feet in the world. kathleen's cheeks got redder and redder.
"here's a cargo for you," she said. "here's something to delight the heart. now, my dear mrs. tennant, let us come and examine everything. do you think i am utterly selfish, mrs. tennant? do you think i want all these things for myself?"
"i am sure you don't, dear."
"it quite makes me ache with longing to give some of them away. i don't want so many frocks: there are a good dozen here all told. aunt katie o'flynn's the one for extravagance, bless her! and for having a thing done in style, bless her! i should like you to see her. it's splendacious she is entirely when she's dressed up in her best—velvet and feathers and laces and jewels. why, nothing holds her in bounds; there's nothing she stops at. i have seen her give hundreds of pounds for one little glittering gem. ah! and here's a ring. look, mrs. tennant."
kathleen had now opened a small box which was lying at the bottom of the great trunk. there were several treasures in it: a necklet of glittering white stones, another of blue, another of red, and this little ring—a little ring which contained a solitary diamond of the purest water.
"now i shall look stylish," said kathleen, and she slipped the ring on the third finger of her left hand.
"my wedding finger too, bedad!" she said.
when the contents of the trunk had been finally explored, kathleen began to sort her finery. mrs. tennant gave advice.
"some of these things are a little too fine for everyday use," she said. "but some of these blouses are very suitable, and so are these white and gray and pink shirts. and this blue bodice is quite nice for the evening, and so is the skirt belonging to it; but this and this and this—i wouldn't wear these until i went home if i were you, my love."
kathleen glanced at her. a slight frown came between her brows.
"don't you see," she said impatiently, "that i want to give away some of these things? do you see this dozen of blouses, all exactly alike, in this box? these are for the secret society."
"the what, kathleen?"
"oh, you musn't tell—it is the most profound secret—but i have joined one. being an irish girl, it is quite natural. i sent a line to aunt katie to get a dozen of the very prettiest blouses she could. of course there are a lot more members, but our cabinet has risen to something like a dozen, so i thought i'd have them handy. aren't they just sweet?"
as she spoke she took out of the box the palest blue cashmere blouse, most exquisitely trimmed with blue embroidery flecked with pink silk. the blouse had real lace round the neck and cuffs, and must have cost a great deal of money.
"don't you think alice would look very nice in one of these?" said kathleen, gazing with a very earnest face at mrs. tennant.
"pink is more alice's color. she is too pale for blue," was mrs. tennant's reply.
"well, then, look here. isn't this a perfect duck? see for yourself. it's a sort of cross between a coral and a rose—oh, so exquisite! and see how it is made, with all these teeny tucks and the embroidery let in between. and the sleeves—aren't they just illegant entirely? don't you think we might make her wear it?"
"i am sorry, kathleen, but you are not getting on very well with alice. i wish it were different. could you not do something to propitiate her?"
"wisha, then, darling!" said kathleen, pausing a moment to consider; "that's just what i can't do. alice's ways are not my ways, and if i copied her it's kilt i'd be entirely. she never likes to see a smile on my face, and she can't abide to watch me if i dance a step, and she wouldn't take a joke out of me if it was to save her life. to please alice i'd have to be the primmest of the prim, and always stooping over my horrid lessons, and the end of it there'd be no more of poor kathleen o'hara—- it's dead and in her grave she'd be, the creature. indeed, i'm glad i'm not made on alice's pattern, even if she is your daughter. i can't aspire to anything so fine and high up even for your sake, darling, and you are one of the sweetest women on god's earth. i couldn't do it—not by no means."
mrs. tennant could not help laughing as kathleen described the sort of girl she would be if she adopted alice's role.
"but the question is now," said the girl, "what are we to do to make her have some of these pretty things? mightn't i give the blouse to you first, and you could give it to her? she'd look so sweet in this pink blouse when she went to tea at her chosen friends. she'd be almost pretty if she was nicely dressed. i've got this white one for little ruth craven, and i want alice to have this so badly. can't you manage it, dear mrs. tennant?"
mrs. tennant felt tempted. the blouse was very dainty and pretty, and unlike anything she could afford to buy for her only daughter. kathleen threw her arms round her neck and kissed her.
"you will—you will, dear mrs. tennant," she said. "it is yours entirely. you tell her you got it at a cheap sale. say you went to a jumble sale and bought it; you paid one-and-twopence-halfpenny for it. that's the right figure, isn't it, for the best things at a jumble sale? tell her it's quite new, and was thrown in promiscuous like."
"but, my darling child, i can't tell her what isn't true. she would wear it if she didn't know it came from you. she would not only wear it, but she would delight in it; but nothing would induce her to take it if she thought you had given it."
"then don't let's tell her. besides, it wouldn't be true, for i have given it to you, dear. and now, see, here is something for your sweet self. i wrote to aunt katie, and aunt katie is so clever. see! come to the glass."
kathleen had opened a cardboard box, and out of it she took a black velvet bonnet with nodding plumes and a little pink strip of velvet fastened under the brim. this she put with trembling fingers on mrs. tennant's head. mrs. tennant was in reality not at all old, and she looked quite young and pretty in the new toque.
"you are charming, that's what you are," said kathleen. "and i can't take it back, for you know perfectly well that it is a wee bit too old for me. you will have to wear it."
"but what will alice say?"
"never mind. don't tell her; just be mum. say, 'it is mine, and i mean to wear it.' oh, i'd manage alice if i happened to be her mother."
"i don't think you would, dear."
"indeed, but i would. and now i must consider whom i am to give the other things to."
when kathleen had finally parcelled out her treasures there was not such a great deal left for herself, for this girl and the other who had taken her fancy were all allotted a treasure out of that famous box. and there was a thick albert chain made of solid silver for ben, and a keyless silver watch for david; and what could boys possibly want more? kathleen had remembered all her friends, and aunt katie o'flynn was more than willing to carry out her request.
finally, at the very bottom of the trunk was a little parcel which she refrained from opening while mrs. tennant was present. it contained the badges of the new society. kathleen had decided that they were to call themselves "the wild irish girls," and this title was neatly engraved on the little badges, which were of the shape of hearts. below the name was the device—a harp with a bit of shamrock trailing round it. the badges were small and exceedingly neat, and there were about sixty of them in all.
"now then, i can go ahead," thought kathleen. "what with the finery for my dear, darling chosen ones, and the badges for all the members, i shall do."
she was utterly reckless with regard to expense. her father was rich, and he did not mind what he spent on his only child. the box seemed to fill up every crevice of her heart, as she expressed it, and it was a very happy girl who dressed to go to the weldons' that evening. kathleen was intensely affectionate, and would have done anything in the world to please mrs. tennant; but when it came to wearing a very quiet gray dress with a little lace round the collar and cuffs, she begun to demur.
"it can't be done," she thought. "half of them will be in gray and half of them in brown, and a few old dowdies will perhaps be in black. but i must be gay; it isn't fair to aunt katie to be anything else."
she made a wild and scarcely judicious selection. she put on crimson silk stockings, and tucked into her bag a pair of crimson satin shoes. her dress consisted of a black velvet skirt over a crimson petticoat, and her bodice was of crimson silk very much embroidered and with elbow-sleeves. round her neck she wore innumerable beads of every possible color, and twisted through her lovely hair were some more beads, which shone as the light fell on them. altogether it was a very bizarre and fascinating little figure that appeared that evening at the weldons' hall door. over her showy dress she wore a long opera-cloak, so that at first her splendors were not fully visible. this gaily dressed little person entered a room full of sober people. the effect was somewhat the same as though a gorgeous butterfly had flown into the room. she lit up the dullness and made a centre of attraction—all eyes were fastened upon her; for kathleen in her well-made dress, notwithstanding the gayety of its color, looked simply radiant. the mischief in her dark eyes, too, but added to her charm. she glanced with almost maliciousness at alice, who, in the dowdiest of pale-gray dresses, with her hair rather untidy and her face destitute of color, was standing near one of the windows. and as alice glanced at kathleen she felt that she almost hated the irish girl.
