"I'll wager my life upon her," said Mr. Blake. "As to the other;—well, you know, Jones, that he has turned Roman Catholic."
"That means nothing," said the distressed father. "He is only ten years old. Of course he's a fool for his pains; but he would not on that account do such a deed as this."
"I don't know. You must remember that he will be telling everything to the priests."
"We have two priests about us," said Mr. Jones, "and I would trust them in anything. There is Father Giles at Headford, and he is as fair a man as any clergyman of our own could be. You cannot imagine that he would give such advice to my boy?"
"Not Father Giles certainly," said the other man.
"Then down with us at Ballintubber there is Father Malachi."
"I know him too," said Mr. Blake. "He would not interfere with a boy like Florian. Is there no one else? What curate lives with Father Malachi?"
"There is none with him at Ballintubber. One Brosnan lives with Father Giles."
"That man is a firebrand," said Mr. Blake. "He is a wretched politician, always preaching up Home Rule."
"But I do not think that even he would teach a boy to deceive his own father in such a matter as this."