There was a silence amongst the girls until Mary Rand shouted:
"Hip! hip! hurrah!"
The whole eight immediately broke into a ringing cheer.
"Welcome, Queen Kathleen," they said--"welcome;" and they held out their
hands and clasped the hands of the Irish girl.
"I am glad," said Kathleen.
"What about?" said Clara Sawyer.
"Why, you have crowned me queen yourselves. Now I can do what I like
with you all."
"You certainly can," said Susy Hopkins.--"We are devoted to our queen,
aren't we, girls?"
"We have fallen in love with her on the spot," said Rosy Myers.
"I never saw any one quite so lovely before as the queen," said Mary
Rand.
"It isn't only that she's lovely, she is so genteel," said Susy Hopkins.
"Aristocratic!" cried Kate.--"Hannah Johnson, you haven't given your
opinion yet.--And, Ruth Craven, you haven't given yours."
"I reserve my opinion," said Ruth.
"And I say there's a great deal of humbug and balder-dash in the world,"
said Hannah Johnson.
Ruth's remark was unexpected, but the girls pooh-poohed Hannah's. Who
was Hannah Johnson that she dared to speak so rudely to one so charming
and beautiful as Kathleen O'Hara? There was a disconcerting pause, and
then Kathleen said:
"Hannah, doubtless you are right. There is plenty of humbug in the
world; but I don't think I am one. Now the question is: Shall I be on
the side of the foundationers, or shall I be on the side of the paying
girls in the Great Shirley School?"
"Indeed, darling," said Rosy Myers, "you shall be on our side.
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