But the cardinal's signet ring wasn't brass, because it said in the newspaper it was gold.
I guess I knew plenty about that signet ring before the burglar ever got it, because once Bony told us about it when we were at his house and he would have showed it to us, only his mother would not let him.
It had been in the family from generation unto generation. So when Bony's mother would not let us see it because her hands were in the dough and boys are too careless, Bony told us what it was like and said he guessed it was worth a million dollars, or maybe a hundred, anyway, because it was solid gold and had a red, carved stone in it, and the cardinal had given it to his son, and he had given it to his son, and it had always been in the family. So I said:
“Aw! 't ain't so! Because cardinals couldn't give anything to their sons; they don't have any sons to give anything to.”
“Well, this cardinal gave this ring to his son, so he did,” Bony said. “This cardinal had a son.”
“No, he didn't!” I said. “I guess I know about cardinals. They don't have any sons. They can't have sons. That's the law.”
Well, Bony didn't know what to say, because he knew I was right, because I read a lot of books and he don't. So, if it hadn't been for Swatty I don't know what we would have done about it. I guess me and Bony would have been mad at each other forever, or had a fight or something, but Swatty had just been listening and spoke up.
“Aw!” he said; “that ain't nothing to fight about. The cardinal's signet ring could be an heirloom from generation to generation and the cardinal needn't have any son either. He could give it to his grandson, couldn't he?”
“Of course he could!” Bony said. “That's what he did.”
“Sure he did!” said Swatty. “That's how all cardinals do. When they want to start an heirloom going they look around for a son to give it to, and when they haven't any sons they give the heirloom to their grandsons.”