uch sacrifices, and they must be made."

The old man kept his eyes fixed on the judge while he spoke, but when he
had ceased he again fixed them on his son.

"My lord," he exclaimed again, with clasped hands, "I can't, I can't!"

"There is nothing criminal, or improper, or sinful in it," replied the
judge; "on the contrary, it is your duty, both as a Christian and a man.
Remember, you have this moment sworn to tell the truth, and the whole
truth; you consequently must keep your oath."

"What you say, sir, may be right, an' of coorse is; but oh, my lord,
I'm not able; I can't get out the words to hang my only boy. If I said
anything to hurt him, my heart 'ud break before your eyes. May be you
don't know the love of a father for an only son?"

"Perhaps, my lords," observed the attorney-general, "it would be
desirable to send for a clergyman of his own religion, who might succeed
in prevailing on him to--"

"No," interrupted Fardorougha; "my mind's made up; a word against him
will never come from my lips, not for priest or friar. I'd die widout
the saykerment sooner."

"This is trifling with the court," said the judge, assuming an air of
severity, which, however, he did not feel. "We shall be forced to commit
you to prison unless you give evidence."

"My lord," said Fardorougha, meekly, but firmly, "I am willin' to go to
prison--I am willin' to die with him, if he is to die, but I neither can
nor will open my lips against him. If I thought him guilty I might; but
I know he is innocent--my heart knows it; an' am I to back the villain
that's strivin' to swear his life away? No, Connor avourneen, whatever
they do to you, your father will have no hand in it."

The court, in fact, were perplexed in the extreme. The old man was not
only firm, from motives of strong attachment, but intractable from an
habitual narrowness of thought, which prevented him from taking that
comprehensive view of justice and judicial authority which might
overcome the repugnance of men less obstinate from ignorance of legal
usages.

"I ask you for the last time," said the judge, "will you give your
evidence? because, if you refuse, the court will feel bound to send you
to prison."

"God bless you, my lord! that's a relief to my heart. Anything,
anything, but to say a word against a boy that, since the day he was
born, never vexed either his mother or myself. If he gets over this,
I have much to make up to him; for, indeed, I wasn't the fat