Alice trembled and colored, looked down, and then looked up again. Miss Ravenscroft was regarding her with kindly eyes. Hers was a sort of veiled face; she seldom gave way to her feelings. Part of her power lay in her potential attitudes, in the possibilities which she seldom, except on very rare occasions, exhibited to their fullest extent. Alice felt that she had only approached the extreme edge of Miss Ravenscroft's nature. Miss Ravenscroft was silent for a minute; then she said gently: "And your friend, Kathleen O'Hara? I wrote to her also. Why isn't she here?" "I am very sorry indeed," said Alice; "it isn't my fault." "We won't talk of faults, if you please, Alice Tennant. I asked you why your friend isn't here." "I must explain. She isn't my friend. She lives with mother--I mean she boards with mother." "Why isn't she here?" "She got your letter. I suppose she didn't understand; she is so new to schools. She is not coming." "Not coming? But I commanded." "I know, I tried to explain, but she is new to school and--and spoilt." "She must be." Miss Ravenscroft was silent for a minute. "We will defer the subject of Kathleen O'Hara until I have the pleasure of speaking to her," she said then. "But now, as you are here, I should like to ask you a few questions." "Yes." "What you say, Alice Tennant, will not be--I speak in judicial phrase"--here Miss Ravenscroft gave vent to a faint smile--"used against you. I should like to have what information you can give me. There is a disturbing element in this school. Do you know anything about it?" "Nothing absolutely." "But you agree with me that there is a disturbing element?" "I am afraid I do." "It has been traced to Kathleen O'Hara." Alice was silent. "It is influencing a number of girls who can be very easily impressed, and who form a very important part of this school. Special arrangements were made more than a hundred years ago by the founders of the school that they should receive an education in every way calculated to help them in life; the influence to which I allude undermines these good things. It must therefore be put a stop to, and the first way to put a stop to anything of the sort is to discover all about it. It is necessary that I should know all that is to be known with regard to the unruly condition of the foundationers of the Great Shirley School. The person who can doubtless tell me most is Kathleen O'Hara. The mere fact of her defying my authority and refusing to come to see me when she is summoned, shows that she is insubordinate as far as this school is concerned." Alice sat very still. "She has not chosen to appear, and I wish to take quick and instant steps. Can you help me?" "I could," said Alice--"that is, of course, I live in the same house with her--but I would much rather not."