human
Haven't you got half the land of Ballintubber in your hands? said Carroll. Here Florian in a whisper reminded Pat that the lands of Ballintubber were at this moment under water, and had been put so by his operation.
gpt
Why wouldn't he make me a statement when I asked for it?
human
Flory, said Edith to the boy that afternoon,
gpt
I didn't,
human
We all believe that you did.
gpt
But I didn't.
human
You may as well listen to me this once. We all believe that you did--papa and I, and Frank and Ada; Peter believes it; there's not a servant about the place but what believes it. Everybody believes it at Headford. Mr. Blake at Carnlough, and all the Blakes believe it.
gpt
I don't care a bit about Mr. Blake,
human
But you do care about your own father. If you were to go up and down to Galway by the boat, you would find that everybody on board believes it. The country people would say that you had turned against your father because of your religion. Mr. Morris, from beyond Cong, was here the other day, and from what he said about the floods it was easy to see that he believed it.
gpt
If you believe Mr. Morris better than you do me, you may go your own ways by yourself.
human
I don't see that, Flory. I may believe Mr. Morris in this matter better than I do you, and yet not intend to go my own ways by myself. I don't believe you at all on this subject.
gpt
Very well, then, don't.
human
But I want to find out, if I can, what may be the cause of so terrible a falsehood on your part. It has come to that, that though you tell the lie, you almost admit that it is a lie.
gpt
I don't admit it.
human
It is as good as admitted. The position you assume is this: 'I saw the gates destroyed, but I am not going to say so in evidence, because it suits me to take part with Pat Carroll, and to go against my own father.'
gpt
You've no business to put words like that into my mouth.
human
I'm telling you what everybody thinks. Would your father treat you as he does now without a cause? And are you to remain here, and to go down and down in the world till you become such a one as Pat Carroll? And you will have to live like Pat Carroll, with the knowledge in everyone's heart that you have been untrue to your father. They are becoming dishonest, false knaves, untrue to their promises, the very scum of the earth, because of their credulity and broken vows; but what am I to say of you? You will have been as false and perfidious and credulous as they. You will have thrown away everything good to gratify the ambition of some empty traitor. And you will have done it all against your own father. Here she paused and looked at him. They were roaming at the time round the demesne, and he walked on, but said nothing.
gpt
I know what you are thinking of, Flory.
human
What am I thinking of?
gpt
You're thinking of your duty; you are thinking whether you can bring yourself to make a clean breast of it, and break the promises which you have made.
human
Nobody should break a promise,
gpt
And nobody should tell a lie. When one finds oneself in the difficulty one has to go back and find out where the evil thing first began.
human
I gave the promise first,
gpt
No such promise should ever have been given. Your first duty in the matter was to your father.
human
I don't see that at all, said Florian.
gpt
My first duty is to my religion.
human
Even to do evil for its sake? Go to Father Malachi, and ask him.
gpt
Father Malachi isn't the man to whom I should like to tell everything. Father Brosnan is a much better sort of clergyman. He is my confessor, and I choose to go by what he tells me.
human
Then you will be a traitor to your father.
gpt
I am not a traitor,
human
And yet you admit that some promise has been given--some promise which you dare not own. You cannot but know in your own heart that I know the truth. You have seen that man Carroll doing the mischief, and have promised him to hold your tongue about it. You have not, then, understood at all the nature or extent of the evil done. You have not, then, known that it would be your father's duty to put down this turbulent ruffian. You have promised, and having promised, Father Brosnan has frightened you. He and Pat Carroll together have cowed the very heart within you. The consequence is that you are becoming one of them, and instead of moving as a gentleman on the face of the earth, you will be such as they are. Tell the truth, and your father will at once send you to some school in England, where you will be educated as becomes my brother.
gpt
I will,
human
What will you do?
gpt
I will tell all that I know about it.
human
Tell me, then, now.
gpt
No, Edith, not now,
human
Will you tell papa, then?
gpt
Papa is so hard to me.
human
Whom will you tell, and when?
gpt
I will tell you, but not now. I will first tell Father Brosnan that I am going to do it; I shall not then have told the lie absolutely to my priest.