n of vehement grief at Brian's rejection of Padre Cristoforo's
proposition. He would scarcely have understood that grief if he had seen
it. He would have found it difficult to realise that the boy, Dino, had
grown from childhood with a strong but suppressed belief in his mother's
strange story, and yet, that, as soon as he saw Brian Luttrell, his
heart had gone out to him with the passionate tenderness that he had
waited all his life to bestow upon a brother.

"Take it not so much to heart, Dino," said the Prior, looking down at
him compassionately. "It was not to be expected that he would welcome
the news. Thou art a fool, little one, to grieve over his coldness.
Come, these are a girl's tears, and thou should'st be a man by now."

The words were caressingly spoken, but they failed of their effect. Dino
did not look up.

"For one reason," said the Prior, in a colder tone, half to himself and
half to the novice, "I am glad that he has not seen you. Your course
will, perhaps, be the easier. Because, Dino, although I may believe my
theory to be the correct one, and that you and our guest are both the
children of Vincenza Vasari, yet it is a theory which is as difficult to
prove as any other; and our good friend, the Cardinal, who was here last
week, you know, chooses to take the other view."

"What other view, Reverend Father?" said Dino.

"The view that you are, indeed, Brian Luttrell, and not Vincenza's son."

"But--you said--that it was impossible to prove----"

"I think so, my dear son. But the Cardinal does not agree with me. We
shall hear from him further. I believe it is the general opinion at Rome
that you ought to be sent to Scotland in order to claim your position
and the Luttrell estates. The case might at any rate be tried."

Dino rose now, pale and trembling.

"I do not want a position. I do not want to claim anything. I want to be
a monk," he said.

"You are not a monk yet," returned the Prior, calmly. "And it may not be
your vocation to take the vows upon you. Now, do you see why you have
been prevented from taking them hitherto? You may be called upon to act
as a layman: to claim the estates, fight the battle with these Scotch
heretics and come back to us a wealthy man! And in that case, you will
act as a pious layman should do, and devote a portion of your wealth to
Holy Church. But I do not say you would be successful; I think myself
that you have little chance of success. Only let us feel that