not help; love him instead of me."

"Never!"

"He has gone to the other side of the world, but I think he would come
back if he knew that you had need of him. Let me send him a line, a
word, from you: make him the master of Netherglen, and let me go in
peace."

"I will not hear his name, I will not tolerate his presence within these
walls," cried Mrs. Luttrell, passionately. "He was never dear to me,
never; and he is hateful to me now. He has robbed me of both my sons:
his hand struck Richard down, and for twenty-three years he usurped your
place. I will never see him again. I will never forgive him so long as
my tongue can speak."

"Then may God forgive you," said Dino, in a strangely solemn voice, "for
you are doing a worse injustice, a worse wrong, than that done by the
poor woman who tried to put her child in your son's place. Have you held
that child upon your knee, kissed his face, and seen him grow up to
manhood, without a particle of love for him in your heart? Did you send
him away from you with bitter reproaches, because of the accident which
he would have given his own life to prevent? You have spoilt his life,
and you do not care. Your heart is hard then, and God will not let that
hardness go unpunished. Mother, pray that his judgments may not descend
upon you for this."

"You have no right to talk to me in that way," said Mrs. Luttrell, with
a great effort. "I have not been unjust. You are ungrateful. If you go
away from me, I will leave all that I possess to Hugo, as I intended to
do. Brian, as you call him--Vincenza Vasari's son--shall have nothing."

"And Brian is to be disinherited in favour of Hugo Luttrell, is he?"
said Dino, in a still lower voice, but one which the listener felt
instinctively had a dangerous sound. "Do you know what manner of man
this Hugo Luttrell is, that you wish to enrich him with your wealth, and
make him the master of Netherglen?"

"I know no harm of him," she answered.

He paused a little, and turned his face--was it consciously or
unconsciously?--towards the open door, from which could be seen the
screen, behind which the unhappy listener crouched and quivered in agony
of fear. Willingly would Hugo have turned and fled, but flight was now
impossible. The fire was blazing brightly, and threw a red glow over all
the room. If he emerged from behind the screen, his figure would be
distinctly visible to Dino, whose face was turned in that direction.
What was he going t