“It was I who thought of it. You will forgive me if I speak out just as plainly as possible?”
“Of course, Kathleen dear.”
“Well, you know you are the head-mistress.”
“That is scarcely news to me, my child.”
“And people, as a rule,” continued Kathleen, “respect their head-mistress.”
“Dear me,” said Mrs. Ward with a smile, “have you come here, Kathleen, to say that you don’t respect me?”
“Respect you!” said Kathleen. “We do a jolly lot more than that. We adore you! We love you! You’re—you’re a sort of—of mother to us.”
“That is what I want to be,” said Mrs. Ward with fervor, and she took the girl’s hand and smoothed it gently.
“I often want to hug you, and that’s a fact,” said Kathleen.
“You may kiss me now if you like, Kitty.”