"I think I see what it is," broke in Patty. "Mr. Brion thinks that father was Mr. Yelverton's uncle, who was lost so long ago. King--King--Mr. Yelverton told us the other day that they called _him_ 'King,' for short--and he was named Kingscote Yelverton, like his uncle. Mother's name was Elizabeth. I believe Mr. Brion is right And, if so--" * * * * * "And, if so," Patty repeated, when that wonderful, bewildering day was over, and she and her elder sister were packing for their return to Melbourne in the small hours of the next morning--"if so, we are the heiresses of all those hundreds of thousands that are supposed to belong to our cousin Kingscote. Now, Elizabeth, do you feel like depriving him of everything, and stopping his work, and leaving his poor starved costermongers to revert to their original condition--or do you not?" "I would not take it," said Elizabeth, passionately. "Pooh!--as if we should be allowed to choose! People can't do as they like where fortunes and lawyers are concerned. For Nelly's sake--not to speak of mine--they will insist on our claim, if we have one; and then do you suppose _he_ would keep your money? Of course not--it's a most insulting idea. Therefore the case lies in a nutshell. You will have to make up your mind quickly, Elizabeth." "I have made up my mind," said Elizabeth, "if it is a question of which of us is most worthy to have wealth, and knows best how to use it." CHAPTER XXXVI. INVESTIGATION.