nce. The Lord-Lieutenant
was a British vanity, and English pomp, but the Chief Secretary
was a minister of the evil one himself. He believed that England
was enriched by many millions a year robbed from Ireland, and that
Ireland was impoverished to the same extent. He was a man thoroughly
disloyal, and at the same time thoroughly ignorant, altogether in
the dark as to the truth of things, a man who, whatever might be
his fitness for the duties of the priesthood, to which he had been
educated, had no capability of perceiving political facts, and no
honesty in teaching them. But it would have been unjust to him to say
that he was a murderer, or that he countenanced murder. To him it was
that young Florian now betook himself, and found him seated alone in
the back parlour in Father Giles's house. The old priest was out, and
Father Brosnan was engaged on some portion of clerical duties. To
give him his due, he performed those duties rigidly, and the more
rigidly when, in doing them, he obeyed the letter of the law rather
than the spirit. As Father Giles, in his idea of his duties, took
altogether the other side of the question, and, in thinking of the
spirit, had nearly altogether ignored the letter, it may be imagined
that the two men did not agree together very well. In truth, Father
Giles looked upon Father Brosnan as an ignorant, impertinent puppy,
whereas Father Brosnan returned the compliment by regarding Father
Giles as half an infidel, and almost as bad as a Protestant.

"Well, Master Florian," said the priest, "and how are things going
with you?"

"Oh! Father Brosnan, I'm in terrible throuble."

"What throuble's up now?"

"They're all agin me at home, and father's nearly as bad as any of
them. It's all along of my religion."

"I thought your father had given his consent?"

"So he has; but still he's agin me. And my two sisters are dead agin
me. What am I to do about Pat Carroll?"

"Just hould your tongue."

"They do be saying that because what Pat and the other boys did was
agin father's interest, I am bound to tell."

"You've given a promise?"

"I did give a promise."

"And you swore an oath," said the priest solemnly.

"I did swear an oath certainly."

"Then you must hould your tongue. In such a case as this I cannot
absolve you from your word. I don't know what it is that Pat Carroll
did." Here it must be admitted Father Brosnan did not stick to the
absolute truth. He did know what Pat Carroll