"No; I declared to his sisters that I would not sit down to table with him till he had told the truth, and I have kept my word." "How does he bear it?" "But badly," said the father. "It has told upon him very much. He complains to his sister that I have utterly cast him off." "It is the oddest case I ever heard of in my life," said the Captain. "I suppose his change of religion has been at the bottom of it--that and the machinations of the priest down at Headford. When we recollect that there must have been quite a crowd of people looking on all the while, it does seem odd that we should be unable to get a single witness to tell the truth, knowing, as we do, that this lad was there. If he would only name two who were certainly there, and who certainly saw the deed done, that would be enough; for the people are not, in themselves, hostile to you." "You know he has owned that he did see it," said the father. "And he has acknowledged that Pat Carroll was there, though he has never mentioned the man's name. His sisters have told him that I will not be satisfied unless I hear him declare that Pat Carroll was one of the offenders." "Let us have him in, sir, if you don't mind." "Just as he is?" "I should say so. Or let the young ladies come with him, if you do not object. Which of them has been most with him since your edict went forth?" Mr. Jones declared that Edith had been most with her brother, and the order went forth that Edith and Florian should be summoned into the apartment. Ada and Edith were together when the order came. Edith was to go down and present herself before Captain Yorke Clayton. "Mercy me!" said Edith jumping up, "I hope they won't shoot at him through the window whilst I am there." "Oh! Edith, how can you think of such a thing?" "It would be very unpleasant if some assassin were to take my back hair for Captain Clayton's brown head. They're very nearly the same colour." And Edith prepared to leave the room, hearing her brother's slow, heavy step as he passed before the door. "Won't you go first and brush your hair?" said Ada; "and do put a ribbon on your neck." "I'll do nothing of the kind. It would be a sheer manoeuvring to entrap a man who ought to be safeguarded against all such female wiles. Besides, I don't believe a bit that Captain Clayton would know the difference between a young lady with or without a ribbon. What evidence I can give;--that's the question." So saying, Edith descended to her father's room.