“How do you say? I do not understand.”
“Van Aldin, my dear, is not taking any. He is the kind of man who makes up his mind and sticks to it.”
“I have heard of him,” nodded the dancer. “He is very rich, is he not? Almost the richest man in America. A few days ago, in Paris, he bought the most wonderful ruby in the world—‘Heart of Fire’ it is called.”
Kettering did not answer. The dancer went on musingly:
“It is a wonderful stone—a stone that should belong to a woman like me. I love jewels, Dereek; they say something to me. Ah! to wear a ruby like ‘Heart of Fire.’ ”
She gave a little sigh, and then became practical once more.
“You don’t understand these things, Dereek; you are only a man. Van Aldin will give these rubies to his daughter, I suppose. Is she his only child?”
“Yes.”
“Then when he dies, she will inherit all his money. She will be a rich woman.”
“She is a rich woman already,” said Kettering drily. “He settled a couple of millions on her at her marriage.”
“A couple of million! But that is immense. And if she died suddenly, eh? That would all come to you?”
“As things stand at present,” said Kettering slowly, “it would. As far as I know she has not made a will.”
“ Mon Dieu! ” said the dancer. “If she were to die, what a solution that would be.”