an the loss of all my meadows. If I could find
out Edith to have been wrong, I should be at once relieved of the
great trouble which sits heaviest at my heart."

"I fear that Edith is right," said Mr. Blake.

"You are prejudiced a little in her favour. Whatever she says you
will think right."

"You must weigh that, and take it for what it's worth," said Mr.
Blake. "We know that the boy has got himself into bad hands. You do
not suspect him of a desire to injure you?"

"Oh, no!" said the father.

"But he has seen these men do it, and now refuses to tell you. They
have terrified him."

"He is not a cowardly boy," said Mr. Jones, still standing up for his
son.

"But they have made him swear an oath that he will not tell. There
has been something of that sort. What does he say himself?"

"Simply that he knows nothing about it."

"But how does he say it? Does he look you in the face? A boy of that
kind may lie. Boys do--and girls also. When people say they don't,
they know nothing about it; but if it's worth one's while to look at
them one can generally tell when they're lying. I'm not a bit afraid
of a boy when he is lying,--but only of one who can lie as though he
didn't lie."

"I think that Florian is lying," said Mr. Jones slowly; "he does not
look me in the face, and he does not lie straightforward."

"Then Edith is right; and I am right when I swear by her."

"But what am I to do with him? If, as I suppose, he saw Pat Carroll
do the mischief, he must have seen others with him. If we knew who
were the lot, we could certainly get the truth out of some of them,
so as to get evidence for a conviction."

"Can't he be made to speak?" asked Mr. Blake.

"How can I make him? It will be understood all about Morony that
he has been lying. And I feel that it is thought that he has made
himself a hero by sticking to his lie. If they should turn upon him?"
Mr. Blake sat silent but made no immediate reply. "It would be better
for me to let the whole thing slide. If they were to kill him!"

"They would not do that. Here in County Galway they have not come
to that as yet. There is not a county in all Ireland in which such
a deed could be done," said Mr. Blake, standing up for his country.
"Are you to let this ruffian pass unpunished while you have the power
of convicting him? I think that you are bound to punish him. For the
sake of your country you are bound to do so."

"And the boy?" said Mr. Jones hoarsely.

"