And then the lady, who looked again more carefully, could not help observing that these seven girls were certainly not chaperoned by any one. A little wonder and a little uneasiness came into her heart. She was a very kind woman herself; she was a motherly woman, too, and she thought of her own girls tucked up safely in bed at home, and wondered what she would feel if they were alone at a London theater at this hour. Presently something impelled her to bend forward and touch Kathleen on her arm. Kathleen gave a little start and faced her. "Forgive me," she said; "I see that you and your companions are schoolgirls, are you not?" To some people Kathleen might have answered, "That is our own affair, not yours;" but to this lady with the courteous face and the gentle voice she replied in quite a humble tone: "Yes, madam, we are schoolgirls." "And if you will forgive me, dear, have you no lady looking after you?" "No," said Kate Rourke, bending forward at that moment; "we are out for a spree all by our lone selves." Kate gave a loud laugh as she spoke. The lady started back, and could not help contrasting Kathleen's face with those of the other girls. She bent towards her husband and whispered in his ear. The result of this communication was that, the curtain having fallen for the last time, the actors having left the stage, the play being completely over, and the seven girls being about to get back to Charing Cross as best they could, the lady touched Kathleen on her arm. "You will forgive me, dear," she said; "I am a mother and have daughters of my own. I should not like to see girls in the position you are in without offering to help them." "But what do you mean?" said Kathleen. "I mean this, my dear, that my husband and I will see you seven back to your home, wherever it is." Kathleen burst out laughing; then she looked very grave, and her eyes filled with tears as she said: "But wouldn't mother approve of it?" "If your mother is the least like me she would not approve of it; she would be horrified." "I don't think the lady can see us home," here remarked Clara Sawyer, "for we live at Merrifield, a good long way from London." Again the lady and her husband had a talk together, and then she suggested that they should take the girls back with them to Charing Cross and put them into their train. "But we thought we'd have a bit of supper," said Kate Rourke. "I can get you some things at the railway station; you ought not to wait for supper in town," said the gentleman in a stern voice. Then somehow all the girls felt ashamed of themselves, Kathleen slightly more ashamed than the others. They left the theater very slowly, with all the lightsomeness and gladness of heart gone. Two cabs were secured for the little party, and with their kind protectors they were taken back to Charing Cross. Eventually they got seats in a comfortable carriage, and found themselves going back again to Merrifield.