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?"