h,
was sure that he could do so against his father. Then Mr. Jones spoke
him fair, and endeavoured to explain to him how sad a thing it would
be if his boy were to turn against his own father and the interests
of the family generally.

"But I haven't," said Florian confidently.

"You should tell me what you saw on that afternoon."

"I didn't see anything," said Florian sulkily.

"I don't believe he knew anything about it," said Mr. Jones to Edith
afterwards. Edith could only receive this in silence, and keep her
own opinion to herself. Ada was altogether of her mind, but Frank at
last came round to his father's view. "It isn't probable," he said
to his sisters, "that a boy of his age should be able to keep such
a secret against four of us; and then it is most improbable that he
should have seen anything of the occurrence and not have come at once
to his father." But the girls held to their own opinion, till at last
they were told by Frank that they were two pig-headed nincompoops.

Things were going on in this way, and Mr. Jones was still striving to
find out evidence by which a case might be substantiated against Pat
Carroll, when that gentleman, one winter afternoon, was using his
eloquence upon Master Florian Jones. It was four o'clock, and the
darkness of the night was now coming on very quickly. The scene was
a cottage, almost in the town of Headford, and about two miles from
the nearest part of the Morony estate. In this cottage Carroll was
sitting at one side of a turf fire, while an old woman was standing
by the doorway making a stocking. And in this cottage also was
another man, whose face was concealed by an old crape mask, which
covered his eyes and nose and mouth. He was standing on the other
side of the fireplace, and Florian was seated on a stool in front of
the fire. Ever and anon he turned his gaze round on the mysterious
man in the mask, whom he did not at all know; and, in truth, he was
frightened awfully through the whole interview by the man in the
mask, who stood there by the fireside, almost close to Florian's
elbow, without speaking a word; nor did the old woman say much,
though it must be presumed that she heard all that was said.

"Faix, Mr. Flory, an' it's well for you you've come," said Carroll.
"Jist you sit steady there, 'cause it won't do the laist good in
life you're moving about where all the world'd see you." It was
thus that the boy was addressed by him, whom we may now call his