"My mother can tell you all about him. I only saw him once in my whole
life; but my mother and I attended his funeral, and afterwards I found
he had left me this ring."
Captain Valentine uttered an exclamation.
"So old Geoffrey Rutherford was your cousin?" he said. "Of course I
knew him,--he was also my cousin,--the queerest and the richest old man
of my acquaintance."
"Were you at the funeral?" I asked suddenly.
"No; why do you ask?"
"I thought all the relations were," I answered, demurely.
Captain Valentine smiled.
"Ah," he said, "a good many people had expectations from poor old
Geoffrey. Who did he leave his wealth to, by the way?"
"I don't know," I replied.
"You don't know? But wasn't the will read after the funeral?"
"Something was read. I don't think it was a will; and the only thing
given away was my ruby ring."
"Just like Geoffrey," exclaimed Captain Valentine. "Then I presume all
the wealth of his miserly old life went to endow a hospital."
"Even though you are a relation, you must not abuse Cousin Geoffrey," I
said. "His wealth has not gone to endow any hospital, but is waiting."
"Waiting--for whom?"
"For the heir."
Lady Ursula suddenly broke in. "The longer I know you, Rosamund," she
said, "the more mysterious you grow. Who in the world is the heir? Why
is not the wealth divided? Is not that poor relation," she pointed with
a comical finger at Captain Valentine, "to share in any of the spoil?"
"I don't know," I replied. "You had better go and ask Mr Gray; he will
tell you everything."