made a sudden dash to the door, with a cry
that was more like the howl of a hunted wild animal, than the utterance
of a human being. Mrs. Luttrell called for help, and half-rose from her
chair. But Dino laid his hand upon her arm.

"Let him go," said he. "I have no desire to punish him. But I must warn
you."

The door clanged behind the flying figure, and awakened the echoes of
the old house. Hugo was gone: whither they knew not: away, perhaps, into
the world of darkness that reigned without. Mrs. Luttrell sank back into
her chair, trembling from head to foot.

"Mother," said Dino, going up to her, and kneeling before her, "forgive
me if I have spoken too violently. But I could not bear that you should
never know what sort of man this Hugo Luttrell has grown to be."

Her hand closed convulsively on his. "How--how did you know--that he was
there?"

"I saw his reflection in the mirror before me as he passed the open
door. He was afraid, and he hid himself there to listen. Mother, never
trust him again."

"Never--never," she stammered. "Stay with me--protect me."

"You will not need my protection," he said, looking at her with calm,
surprised eyes. "You will have your friends: Mr. Colquhoun, and the
beautiful lady that you call Angela. And, for my sake, let me think that
you will have Brian, too."

"No, no!" Her voice took new strength as she answered him, and she
snatched her hand angrily away from his close clasp. "I will never speak
to him again."

"Not even when he returns?"

"You told me that he was gone to America!"

"I feel sure that some day he will come back. He will learn the
truth--that I have withdrawn my claim; then he and Miss Murray must
settle the matter of property between them. They may divide it; or they
might even marry."

His voice was perfectly calm; he had brooded over this arrangement for
so long that it scarcely struck him how terrible it would sound in Mrs.
Luttrell's ears.

"Do you mean it?" she said, feebly. "You renounce your claim--to be--my
son?"

"Oh, not your son, mother," he said, kissing the cold hand, which she
immediately drew away from him. "Not your son! Not the claim to be
loved, and the right to love you! But let that rest between ourselves.
Why should the money that I do not want come between me and you, between
me and my friend? Let Brian come home, and you will have two sons
instead of one."

"Rather say that I shall have no son at all," said Mrs. Luttrell,