"No, father." Then Mr. Jones stood silent, looking at his son. And the more he looked the more he doubted him. When the boy had uttered "No, father," for the last time, Mr. Jones felt almost convinced--almost convinced that Edith was right. "You may go now, Florian," he said. And the boy departed, fully convinced that his father had disbelieved him. CHAPTER IV. MR. BLAKE OF CARNLOUGH. Three or four days after the occurrences narrated in the last chapter, Mr. Jones got on to his car and had himself driven down to Carnlough, the seat of Mr. Thomas Blake, a gentleman living about two miles the other side of Tuam. To reach Carnlough he had a journey to make of about ten miles, and as he seldom went, in these days, so far away from home, the fact of his going was known to all the household. "Father is going to Carnlough," Florian said to Peter, the butler. "What is he going for?" "'Deed, then, Master Flory, who can tell that? Mr. Blake is a very old friend of master's." "But why is he going now? It isn't often he goes to Carnlough; and when he does go, he is sure to say why." "I shouldn't wonder af he's going to ax him as to how he shall get rid of the waters." "He knows that better than Mr. Blake can tell him." "Or maybe he's going to inquire how he shall cotch a hould of Pat Carroll." It was evident, from the butler's answers, that all the world at Morony Castle felt that at present Mr. Jones could engage himself on no other subject than that of the flood. "I wish father wouldn't think so much about the flood. After all, what's L500? It won't ruin a man like my father." But the butler showed by his visage that he regarded L500 as a very serious matter, and that he was not at all astonished by the occupation which it gave to his master's thoughts. Mr. Blake, of Carnlough, was the first Irishman with whom Mr. Jones had become acquainted in the County Galway. It was through his instance, indeed, that the Morony and Ballintubber properties had been bought, so that the acquaintance must have been well established before the purchase had been made. Mr. Blake was a man of good property, who, in former years, had always been regarded as popular in the county. He was a Protestant, but had not made himself odious to the Roman Catholics around him as an Orangeman, nor had he ever been considered to be hard as a landlord. He thought, perhaps, a little too much of popularity, and had prided himself a little perhaps, on managing "his boys"--as he called the tenants--with peculiar skill. Even still he could boast of his success, though there had arisen some little difficulties as to rent over at Carnlough; and, indeed, he was frightened lest some of the evil ways which had begun to prevail in the neighbouring parts of County Mayo, should make their way into County Galway.