da.

"Ah!--that's just it. What shall we do? If he could be made to tell
the truth, that would be best. But as he denies it, father will
believe him. Florian will say that we are spiting him because of his
religion."

"But, Edith, we must tell father." At last it was decided that Edith
should take the boy and talk to him. He was more prone to listen to
Edith than to Ada. Edith did find her brother, and talked to him for
an hour,--but in vain. He had managed to collect himself after his
past breakdown, and was better able to bear the examination to which
his sister put him, than at the first moment. He still blushed when
he was questioned; till he became dogged and surly. The interview
ended with repeated asseverations on Flory's part, that he knew
nothing of the meadows.

Mr. Jones and his eldest son returned to the house, having been
absent the entire day. "As sure as I am a living man, Pat Carroll has
been at the doing of it," said Frank.

"He cannot have done it alone," said Ada.

"There have been others in it."

"That has been the worst of it," said the father. "Of course I have
known since the beginning of the year, that that man would do any
devil's turn of work against me. But one man cannot do much."

"Too much! too much!" said Edith.

"One man can murder me, of course. But we haven't yet come to such a
state of things as that. Twelve months ago I thought there was not a
man about the place who would raise his hand to do me an ill turn. I
have done them many good turns in my time."

"You have, father," said Ada.

"Then this man came to me and said that because the tenants away in
County Mayo were not paying their rents, he could not pay his. And he
can sell his interest on his holding now for L150. When I endeavoured
to explain this to him, and that it was at my cost his interest in
the farm has been created, he became my enemy. I don't mind that; one
has to look for that. But that others should be joined in it, and
that there should be no one to say that they had seen it! There must
have been five pairs of hands at work, and twenty pairs of eyes must
have seen what the others were doing."

The two sisters looked at each other, but they said nothing. "I
suppose we shall work it out of them some day," said Frank.

"I suppose nothing of the kind," said the father. "There are eighty
acres of meadow lying under Lough Corrib this moment which will not
give a ton of hay next summer, or food for a sheep