I want none of your Latin gibberish," she said. "I want plain
commonsense. If you go into a monastery, do you intend to give the
property to the monks? Perhaps you want to turn Netherglen into a
convent, and establish a priory at Strathleckie? Well, I cannot prevent
you. What fools we are to think that there is any happiness in this
world!"

"Mother!" said Dino, and his voice was very gentle, "let me speak to you
of another before we talk about the estates. Let me speak to you of
Brian."

"Brian!" Her voice had a checked tone for a moment; then she recovered
herself and spoke in her usual harsh way. "I know no one of that name
but you."

"I mean my friend whom you thought to be your son for so many years,
mother. Have you no tenderness for him? Do you not think of him with a
little love and pity? Let me tell you what he suffered. When he came to
us first at San Stefano he was nearly dying of grief. It was long before
we nursed him back to health. When I think how we all learnt to love
him, mother, I cannot but believe that you must love him, too."

"I never loved him," said Mrs. Luttrell. "He stood in your place. If you
had a spark of proper pride in you, you would know that he was your
enemy, and you will feel towards him as I do."

"He is an enemy that I have learned to love," answered Dino. "At any
rate, mother"--his voice always softened when he called her by that
name--"at any rate, you will try to love him now."

"Why now?" She asked the question sharply.

"Because I mean him to fill my place."

There was a little silence, in which the fall of a cinder from the grate
could be distinctly heard. Then Mrs. Luttrell uttered a long, low moan.
"Oh, my God!" she said. "What have I done that I should be tormented in
this way?"

"Mother, mother, do not say so," said Dino, evidently with deep emotion.
Then, in a lower and more earnest voice, he added--"Perhaps if you had
tried to love the child that Vincenza placed within your arms that day,
you would have felt joy and not sorrow now."

"Do you dare to rebuke your mother?" said Mrs. Luttrell, fiercely. "If I
had loved that child, I would never have acknowledged you to-day. Not
though all the witnesses in the world swore to your story."

"That perhaps would have been the better for me," said Dino, softly.
"Mother, I am going away from you for ever; let me leave you another
son. He has never grieved you willingly; forgive him for those
misfortunes which he could