"Even suppose your aunt had cried," she said, "your duty was to me as your head-mistress."
"Please," said Kathleen, "I did not think it was. I thought my duty was to my aunt."
Miss Ravenscroft was silent for a minute.
"My dear," she said then gently, "you are new to the school. You have doubtless indulged in a very free-and-easy and unconventional life in your own country. I was once in Ireland, in the west, and I liked the people and the land, and the ways of the people and the looks of the land, and for the sake of that visit I am not going to be hard on a little Irish girl during her first sojourn in the school. In future, Kathleen O'Hara, I must insist on instant obedience. I will forgive you for your disregard of my message last night, but if ever I require you again I shall expect you to come to me at once. For the present we will forget last night."
"Thank you, madam. I am sure I should love you very much if I knew you well."
"That is not the question, my dear. I must insist on your treating me with respect. It is not very easy to know the head-mistress; the girls know her up to a certain point, but personal friendship as between one woman
and another cannot quite exist between a little girl and her head-mistress. Yes, my dear, I hope you will love me, but in the sense of one who is set in authority over you. That is my position, and I hope as long as I live to do my duty. Now then, Kathleen, I will speak to you about the other matter which obliged me to send you a message last night."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Kathleen. She looked down, so that the fun in her eyes could not be seen.
"I am sure from your face that you will not tell me a lie."
"No," said Kathleen, "I won't tell you a lie."