“Your mother’s cousin?” said Captain Valentine. “Do you mind giving me some particulars? It is interesting to trace relationships; in this case especially so.”
I mentioned Cousin Geoffrey’s name, and then added:
“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?”