It was then he said he must have the ruby.

He had known about it ever since you came out here, but after he saw it on me that night at the Gwynnes' he was more than ever determined to have it.
"I laughed at him at first.

It seemed preposterous that he could demand a ruby worth two or three hundred thousand dollars in payment for a debt of twenty thousand.

I thought of selling my jewels and furs and laces, or pawning them and raising the amount--he only had my I.O.U.for that sum.
But I didn't know where to go.

So I told Aileen.