hout your supper because we have been
attacking you about religion. I have told him that nobody has said
a word to you."

"But you did."

"Not a word."

"You didn't tell him all that you told me--about letting in the
water?" This was asked in a tone of great anxiety.

"Not a word,--not as yet."

"And you won't? Mind, I tell you it's all untrue. What do I know
about letting in the water?"

"Who did it?"

"I'm not going to tell."

"You know, then?"

"No, I don't. But I'm not going to tell as though I knew it. You
don't care about it in your religion, but we Catholics don't like
telling lies."

"You saw nothing?"

"Whatever I saw I'm not to tell a lie about it."

"You've promised not, you mean?"

"Now, Edy, you're not going to trap me. You've got your own religion
and I've got mine. It's a great thing in our religion to be able to
hold your tongue. Father Malachi says it's one of the greatest trials
which a man has to go through."

"Then, Flory, am I to gather that you will say nothing further to
me?" Here the boy shook his head. "Because in that case I must tell
father. At any rate, he must be told, and if you do not tell him, I
shall."

"What is there to be told?"

"I shall tell him exactly what I saw,--and Ada. I saw,--we saw,--that
when the news came about the flood, you were conscious of it all.
If you will go to father and tell him the truth he will be but
very little angry with you. I don't suppose you had a hand in it
yourself."

"No!" shouted the boy.

"But I think you saw it, and that they made you swear an oath. Was
that not so?"

"No!" whispered the boy.

"I am sure it was so." Then the boy again plucked up his courage, and
declared with a loud voice, that it was not so.

That night before she retired to rest, Edith went to her father and
told him all that she had to say. She took Ada with her, and together
they used all their eloquence to make their father believe as they
believed.

"No," said Edith, "he has not confessed. But words drop from him
which make us sure that he knows who did it. I am certain that he saw
it done. I don't mean to say that he saw the whole thing. The water,
I suppose, was coming in all night."

"The whole night! While we were sleeping in our beds, the waters of
the lough were ruining me," said the father.

"But he saw enough to be able to tell you who did it."

"I know who did it. It was that ruffian Carroll."

"But father, you will want evidenc