each girl who joins me; it will be made of silver, and can be worn beneath the dress in the form of a locket."
"Oh, lovely, delicious! There never was such a queen," cried Susy Hopkins.
The little meeting broke up amidst universal applause.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BOX FROM DUBLIN AND ITS TREASURES.
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