"I am sure it was so." Then the boy again plucked up his courage, and declared with a loud voice, that it was not so.
That night before she retired to rest, Edith went to her father and told him all that she had to say. She took Ada with her, and together they used all their eloquence to make their father believe as they believed.
"No," said Edith, "he has not confessed. But words drop from him which make us sure that he knows who did it. I am certain that he saw it done. I don't mean to say that he saw the whole thing. The water, I suppose, was coming in all night."
"The whole night! While we were sleeping in our beds, the waters of the lough were ruining me," said the father.
"But he saw enough to be able to tell you who did it."
"I know who did it. It was that ruffian Carroll."
"But father, you will want evidence."
"Am I to bring up my own boy to swear that he was there, witnessing what was done, as the friend of my enemies? I do not believe that he was there at all."
"If you question him, he will probably own to it. It will be better to get at the truth and face it. He is only ten years old. You must tell me the story of his pretended conversion."
"Why should it be pretended?" asked the father.