“What do you mean?” said Van Aldin sharply.

Derek Kettering laughed.

“I see you don’t know everything, sir,” he said. “You are, perhaps naturally, prejudiced.”

He took up his hat and stick and moved towards the door.

“Giving advice is not much in my line.” He delivered his final thrust. “But, in this case, I should advise most strongly perfect frankness between father and daughter.”

He passed quickly out of the room and shut the door behind him just as the millionaire sprang up.

“Now, what the hell did he mean by that?” said Van Aldin as he sank back into his chair again.