e Vasari family lived
at San Stefano----"

"Vasari! Relations of your own, I presume," interposed Percival, with
ironical politeness.

"And to San Stefano, therefore, he was making his way when the accident
on the mountain occurred," said Dino, utterly disregarding the
interruption. "There were inquiries made about him at San Stefano soon
after the news of his supposed death arrived in England, for Mrs.
Luttrell guessed that he would go thither if he were still living; but
he had not then appeared at the monastery. He did not arrive at San
Stefano, as I said before, until a fortnight after the date of the
accident; he had been ill, and was footsore and weary. When he recovered
from the brain-fever which prostrated him as soon as he reached the
monastery, he told his whole story to the Prior, Padre Cristoforo of San
Stefano, a man whose character is far beyond suspicion. I have also
Padre Cristoforo's statement, if you would like to see it."

Percival shook his head. But his pipe had gone out; he was listening now
with interest.

"As it happened," the narrator went on, "Padre Cristoforo was already
interested in the matter, because the mother of Mrs. Luttrell's nurse,
Vincenza, had, before her death, confided to him her suspicions, and
those of Vincenza's husband concerning the child that she had nursed.
There was a child living in the village of San Stefano, a child who had
been brought up as Vincenza's child, but Vincenza had told her this boy
was the true Brian Luttrell, and that her son had been taken back to
Scotland as Mrs. Luttrell's child."

"I see your drift now," remarked Percival, quietly re-lighting his pipe.
"Where is this Italian Brian Luttrell to be found?"

"Need I tell you? Should I come here with this story if I were not the
man?"

He asked the question almost sadly, but with a simplicity of manner
which showed him to be free from any desire to produce any theatrical
effect. He waited for a moment, looking steadily at Percival, whose
darkening brow and kindling eyes displayed rapidly-rising anger.

"I was called Dino Vasari at San Stefano," he continued, "but I believe
that my rightful name is Brian Luttrell, and that Vincenza Vasari
changed the children during an illness of Mrs. Luttrell's."

"And that, therefore," said Percival, slowly, "you are the owner of the
Strathleckie property--or, as it is generally called, the Luttrell
property--now possessed by Miss Murray?"

Dino bowed his head