o wound his feelings more than we can help, he thinks
that he can hold his peace in the same fashion, before the entire
court; and that he can do so, although he has owned that he knows the
men."

"I have never owned that," said the boy.

"Not to your sister?"

"I only owned to one."

"Pat Carroll?" said the Captain; but giving the name merely as a hint
to help the boy's memory.

But the boy was too sharp for him. "That's another of your traps,
Captain Clayton. If she says Pat Carroll, I can say it was Tim Brady.
A boy's word will be as good as a girl's, I suppose."

"A lie can never be as good as the truth, whether from a boy or
a girl," said the Captain, endeavouring to look him through and
through. The boy quavered beneath his gaze, and the Captain went on
with his questioning. "I suppose we may take it for granted that Pat
Carroll was there, and that you did see him?"

"You may take anything for granted."

"You would have to swear before a jury that Pat Carroll was there."

Then there was another pause, but at last, with a long sigh, the boy
spoke out. "He was there, and I did see him." Then he burst into
tears and threw himself down on the ground, and hid his face in his
sister's lap.

"Dear Flory," said she. "My own brother! I knew that you would
struggle to be a gentleman at last."

"It will all come right with him now," said the Captain. But the
father frowned and shook his head. "How many were there with him?"
asked the Captain, intent on the main business.

But Florian feeling that it would be as good to be hung for a sheep
as a lamb, and feeling also that he had at last cast aside all the
bonds which bound him to Pat Carroll and Father Brosnan,--feeling
that there was nothing left for him but the internecine enmity of his
old friends,--got up from the floor, and wiping away the tears from
his face, spoke out boldly the whole truth as he knew it. "It was
dark, and I didn't see them all. There were only six whom I could
see, though I know that there were many others round about among the
meadows whose names I had heard, though I do not remember them."

"We will confine ourselves to the six whom you did see," said the
Captain, preparing to listen quietly to the boy's story. The father
took out a pen and ink, but soon pushed it on one side. Edith again
got hold of the boy's hand, and held it within her own till his story
was finished.

"I didn't see the six all at once. The first whom I did see