Brian
Luttrell.

"I have done what I was asked to do," he said, drawing himself up to his
full height, and turning round with folded arms and darkening brow. "I
have burnt his letter, and I should now be glad, Mr. Luttrell, to hear
the views which you were to explain to me."

"My cousin Brian----" began Hugo, with some deliberation; but he was not
allowed to finish his sentence. Quick as thought, Dino Vasari
interrupted him.

"Pardon me, would it not be as well--under the circumstances--to speak
of the gentleman in question as Mr. Stretton?"

Hugo shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no objection," he said, "so long as you do not take my calling
him by that name to be the expression of my opinion concerning the
subject under consideration."

This was so elaborate a sentence that Dino took some little time to
consider it.

"I see," he said at last, with a questioning look; "you mean that you
are not convinced that he is the son of Vincenza Vasari?"

"Neither is he," said Hugo.

"But if we have proof----"

"Mr. Vasari, you cannot imagine that my cousin will give up his rights
without a struggle?"

"But he has given them up," said Dino, vehemently. "He refuses to be
called by his own name; he has let the estates pass away from him----"

"But he means to claim his rights again," said Hugo.

"Oh." Then there was a long silence. Dino sat down in a chair facing
that of Hugo, and confronted him steadily. "I understood," he said at
last, "when I was in Italy, that he had resolved to give up all claim to
his name, or to his estate. He had disagreeable associations with both.
He determined to let himself be thought dead, and to earn his own living
under the name of John Stretton."

"He did do so," said Hugo, softly; "but he has changed his mind."

"And why?"

"If I tell you why, may I ask you to keep what I say a profound secret?"

Dino hesitated. Then he said firmly, "I will keep it secret so long as
he desires me to do so."

"Then listen. The reason of his change of mind is this. He has fallen in
love. You will ask--with whom? With the woman to whom his estate has
passed--Miss Murray. He means to marry her, and in that way to get back
the estate which, by his own mad folly, he has forfeited."

"Is this true?" said Dino, slowly. He fixed his penetrating dark eyes
upon Hugo as he spoke, and turned a little pale. "And does this
lady--this Miss Murray--know who he is? For I hear that he calls himself
Stretton i