“And what am I to call you, your honour, now that I know you are Captain Gerald O’Carroll, and not Desmond Kennedy, at all?”

“At any rate, I must remain Desmond Kennedy at present, Mike.  It is under that name that my safe conduct was made out, and if I were arrested as Gerald O’Carroll, it would be no protection to me.  However, I shall not want to use it long, for it seems to me that my first step must be to return to France, and to see some of the officers who knew my father, and were aware of my birth.  Their testimony would be of great value, and without it there would be little chance of your sister’s evidence being believed.”

“But there is the paper, your honour.”

“Yes; that will show that a child was born, but the proof that I am that child rests entirely with your sister.  It might have died when its mother did, and they would say that your sister was trying to palm off her own child, or someone else’s, as his.  Of course, Mrs. Callaghan would be able to prove that your sister arrived immediately after the surrender of Limerick, bringing a child with her, and that she said it was the son of James O’Carroll; and that she went a year later to Kilkargan, and left it there with John O’Carroll.  Moreover, I could get plenty of evidence, from those on the estate, that I was the child so left.”

“The likeness that Norah saw between you and your father might be taken as a proof, sir.”

“I did not think of that, Mike.  Yes, if some of these officers will also testify to the likeness, it will greatly strengthen my case.  The chain of evidence seems pretty strong.  First, there is the certificate of my baptism, your sister’s declaration that I was entrusted to her by my mother on her deathbed, supported by Mrs. Callaghan’s declaration that three weeks later she arrived in Cork with the child, which she told her was that of James O’Carroll; your sister’s declaration that she took me to Kilkargan and handed me over to my uncle, which would be supported by the evidence of the woman he first placed me with; while the servants of the castle could prove that I was brought by a woman who, an hour later, left the castle without speaking to anyone but my uncle.

“John O’Carroll will find it difficult to explain why he took me in, and who is the Kennedy of whom I was the son, and what service he had rendered for him, a Protestant and a Williamite, to have undertaken the charge of the child of a rebel.  There is no doubt that the weight of evidence is all on my side, but whether the judges would decide in favour of the son of a rebel, as against a friend of the English party, is doubtful.  Possibly Lord Godolphin’s influence might be exerted in my favour.  He promised in his letter to me to do me any service in his power.  Still, even if I lose the estate, which I may well do on the ground of my father having fought and died for the cause of James the Second, I should still have the satisfaction of establishing my name, which I consider of more importance than the estates.”