The Sins of Prince Saradine by G. K. Chesterton. Short summary

5 seconds

Fleeing from revenge, the Count impersonates his younger brother. The vigilante kills an innocent man.

1 minute

Private detective Flambeau travels by boat with a friend, Father Brown. He recalls that when he was a thief, he was admired and invited to visit a certain Count Saradin. The friends set out in search of him.

They find the Count’s house on an island. Except their master, the friends are met by the stern butler Paul and the sad Italian lady-in-waiting Antoni.

Unexpectedly a young Sicilian boy comes ashore. He challenges the Earl to a duel. For once in Sicily, the Count had stolen his mother and sneakily murdered his father.

The young man kills the Count. When the police arrive, he declares himself guilty and surrenders to the authorities.

The majordomo laughs joyfully. He tells the stunned Flambeau and Father Brown that he is the Count — Paul Saradin.

The murdered nobleman is his younger brother Stephen, who for years has blackmailed the elder with history in Sicily. So Paul lured him to the island and turned him over to the vigilante for himself.