answerto
this
simple
question
.
"
Lacville
?
"
he
repeated
;
"
well
—
Dame
!
Lacville
is
Lacville
!
It
is
not
like
anything
Madame
has
ever
seen
.
On
that
I
would
lay
my
life
.
First
,
there
is
a
most
beautiful
lake
—
that
is
,
perhaps
,
the
principal
attraction
;
—
then
the
villas
of
Lacville
—
ah
!
they
are
ravishingly
lovely
,
and
then
there
is
also
"
—
he
fixed
his
black
eyes
on
her
—
"
a
Casino
.
"
"
A
Casino
?
"
echoed
Sylvia
.
She
scarcely
knew
what
a
Casino
was
.
"
But
to
see
the
Casino
properly
Madame
must
go
at
night
,
and
it
would
be
well
if
Madame
were
accompanied
by
a
gentleman
.
I
do
not
think
Madame
should
go
by
herself
,
but
if
Madame
really
desires
to
see
Lacville
properly
my
wife
and
I
will
make
a
great
pleasure
to
ourselves
to
accompany
her
there
one
Sunday
night
.
It
is
very
gay
,
is
Lacville
on
Sunday
night
—
or
,
perhaps
,
"
added
M
.
Girard
quickly
,
"
Madame
,
being
English
,
would
prefer
a
Saturday
night
?
Lacville
is
also
very
gay
on
Saturday
nights
.
"
"
But
is
there
anything
going
on
there
at
night
?
"
asked
Sylvia
,
astonished
.
"
I
thought
Lacville
was
a
country
place
.
"
"
There
are
a
hundred
and
twenty
trains
daily
from
the
Gare
du
Nord
to
Lacville
,
"
said
the
hotel-keeper
drily
.
"
A
great
many
Parisians
spend
the
evening
there
each
day
.
They
do
not
start
till
nine
o'clock
in
the
evening
,
and
they
are
back
,
having
spent
a
very
pleasant
,
or
sometimes
an
unpleasant
,
soirée
,
before
midnight
.
"
"
A
hundred
and
twenty
trains
!
"
repeated
Sylvia
,
amazed
.
"
But
why
do
so
many
people
want
to
go
to
Lacville
?
"
Again
the
hotel-keeper
stared
at
her
with
a
questioning
look
.
Was
it
possible
that
pretty
Madame
Bailey
did
not
know
what
was
the
real
attraction
of
Lacville
?
Yet
it
was
not
his
business
to
run
the
place
down
—
as
a
matter
of
fact
,
he
and
his
wife
had
invested
nearly
a
thousand
pounds
of
their
hard-earned
savings
in
their
relation
's
hotel
,
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
If
Madame
Bailey
really
wanted
to
leave
salubrious
,
beautiful
Paris
for
the
summer
,
why
should
she
not
go
to
Lacville
instead
of
to
dull
,
puritanical
,
stupid
Switzerland
?
These
thoughts
rushed
through
the
active
brain
of
M
.
Girard
with
amazing
quickness
.
"
Many
people
go
to
Lacville
in
order
to
play
baccarat
,
"
he
said
lightly
.
And
then
Sylvia
knew
why
Anna
Wolsky
had
gone
to
Lacville
.
"
But
apart
from
the
play
,
Lacville
is
a
little
paradise
,
Madame
,
"
he
went
on
enthusiastically
.
"
It
is
a
beauteous
spot
,
just
like
a
scene
in
an
opera
.
There
is
the
romantic
lake
,
edged
with
high
,
shady
trees
and
princely
villas
—
and
then
the
gay
,
the
delightful
Casino
!
"
"
And
is
there
a
train
soon
?
"
"
I
will
look
Madame
out
a
train
this
moment
,
and
I
will
also
give
her
one
of
my
cousin
Polperro
's
cards
.
Madame
has
,
of
course
,
heard
of
the
Empress
Eugénie
?
Well
,
the
Villa
du
Lac
once
belonged
to
one
of
the
Empress
's
gentlemen-in-waiting
.
The
very
highest
nobility
stay
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
with
my
cousin
.
At
this
very
moment
he
has
Count
Paul
de
Virieu
,
the
brother-in-law
of
a
duke
,
among
his
clients
—
"
M
.
Girard
had
noticed
the
British
fondness
for
titles
.
"
You
see
,
Madame
,
my
cousin
was
chef
to
the
Emperor
of
Brazil
's
sister
—
this
has
given
him
a
connection
among
the
nobility
.
In
the
winter
he
has
an
hotel
at
Mentone
,
"
he
was
looking
up
the
train
while
he
chatted
happily
.
"
There
is
a
train
every
ten
minutes
,
"
he
said
at
last
,
"
from
the
Gare
du
Nord
.
Or
,
if
Madame
prefers
it
,
she
could
walk
up
from
here
to
the
Square
of
the
Trinité
and
take
the
tramway
;
but
it
is
quicker
and
pleasanter
to
go
by
train
—
unless
,
indeed
,
Madame
wishes
to
offer
herself
the
luxury
of
an
automobile
.
That
,
alas
!
I
fear
would
cost
Madame
twenty
to
thirty
francs
.
"
"
Of
course
I
will
go
by
train
,
"
said
Sylvia
,
smiling
,
"
and
I
will
lunch
at
your
cousin
's
hotel
,
M
.
Girard
.
"
It
would
be
quite
easy
to
find
Anna
,
or
so
she
thought
,
for
Anna
would
be
at
the
Casino
.
Sylvia
felt
painfully
interested
in
her
friend
's
love
of
gambling
.
It
was
so
strange
that
Anna
was
not
ashamed
of
it
.
And
then
as
she
drove
to
the
great
railway
terminus
,
from
which
a
hundred
and
twenty
trains
start
daily
for
Lacville
,
it
seemed
to
Sylvia
that
the
whole
of
Paris
was
placarded
with
the
name
of
the
place
she
was
now
about
to
visit
for
the
first
time
!
On
every
hoarding
,
on
every
bare
piece
of
wall
,
were
spread
large
,
flamboyant
posters
showing
a
garish
but
not
unattractive
landscape
.
There
was
the
sun
sparkling
on
a
wide
stretch
of
water
edged
with
high
trees
,
and
gay
with
little
sailing
boats
,
each
boat
with
its
human
freight
of
two
lovers
.
Jutting
out
into
the
blue
lake
was
a
great
white
building
,
which
Sylvia
realised
must
be
the
Casino
.
And
under
each
picture
ran
the
words
"
Lacville-les-Bains
"
printed
in
very
black
letters
.
When
she
got
to
the
Gare
du
Nord
the
same
advertisement
stared
down
at
her
from
the
walls
of
the
station
and
of
the
waiting-rooms
.
It
was
certainly
odd
that
she
had
never
heard
of
Lacville
,
and
that
the
place
had
never
been
mentioned
to
her
by
any
of
those
of
her
English
acquaintances
who
thought
they
knew
Paris
so
well
.
The
Lacville
train
was
full
of
happy
,
chattering
people
.
In
her
first-class
carriage
she
had
five
fellow-travellers
—
a
man
and
woman
and
three
children
.
They
looked
cheerful
,
prosperous
people
,
and
soon
the
husband
and
wife
began
talking
eagerly
together
.
"
I
really
think
,
"
said
the
lady
suddenly
,
"
that
we
might
have
chosen
some
other
place
than
Lacville
in
which
to
spend
to-day
!
There
are
many
places
the
children
would
have
enjoyed
more
.
"
"
But
there
is
no
place
,
"
said
her
husband
in
a
jovial
tone
,
"
where
I
can
spend
an
amusing
hour
in
the
afternoon
.
"
"
Ah
,
my
friend
,
I
feared
that
was
coming
!
"
exclaimed
his
wife
,
shaking
her
head
.
"
But
remember
what
happened
the
last
time
we
were
at
Lacville
—
I
mean
the
afternoon
when
you
lost
seventy
francs
!
"
"
But
you
forget
that
other
afternoon
!
"
answered
the
man
eagerly
.
"
I
mean
the
afternoon
when
I
made
a
hundred
francs
,
and
bought
you
and
the
children
a
number
of
delightful
little
gifts
with
the
money
!
"
Sylvia
was
amused
.
How
quaint
and
odd
French
people
were
!
She
could
not
imagine
such
an
interchange
of
words
between
an
English
husband
and
wife
,
especially
before
a
stranger
.
And
then
her
amusement
was
further
increased
,
for
the
youngest
child
,
a
boy
of
about
six
,
cried
out
that
he
also
wished
to
go
to
the
Casino
with
his
dear
papa
.
"
No
,
no
,
my
sweet
cabbage
,
that
will
happen
quite
soon
enough
,
when
thou
art
older
!
If
thou
art
in
the
least
like
thy
father
,
there
will
certainly
come
a
time
when
thou
also
wilt
go
and
lose
well-earned
money
at
the
Tables
,
"
said
his
mother
tenderly
.
"
But
if
I
win
,
then
I
shall
buy
thee
a
present
,
"
said
the
sweet
cabbage
coaxingly
.
Sylvia
looked
out
of
the
window
.
These
happy
,
chattering
people
made
her
feel
lonely
,
and
even
a
little
depressed
.
The
country
through
which
the
train
was
passing
was
very
flat
and
ugly
—
in
fact
,
it
could
scarcely
be
called
country
at
all
.
And
when
at
last
they
drew
up
into
the
large
station
of
what
was
once
a
quiet
,
remote
village
where
Parisian
invalids
,
too
poor
to
go
elsewhere
,
came
to
take
medicinal
waters
,
she
felt
a
pang
of
disappointment
.
Lacville
,
as
seen
from
the
railway
,
is
an
unattractive
place
.
"
Is
this
Madame
's
first
visit
to
Lacville
?
"
asked
her
fellow-traveller
,
helping
her
out
of
the
railway
carriage
.
"
If
so
,
Madame
would
doubtless
like
to
make
her
way
to
the
lake
.
Would
she
care
to
accompany
us
thither
?
"
Sylvia
hesitated
.
She
almost
felt
inclined
to
go
back
to
Paris
by
the
next
train
.
She
told
herself
that
there
was
no
hope
of
finding
Anna
in
such
a
large
place
,
and
that
it
was
unlikely
that
this
dreary-looking
town
would
offer
anything
in
the
least
pleasant
or
amusing
on
a
very
hot
day
.
But
"
It
will
be
enchanting
by
the
lake
!
"
she
heard
some
one
say
eagerly
.
And
this
chance
remark
made
up
her
mind
for
her
.
After
all
,
she
might
as
well
go
and
see
the
lake
,
of
which
everyone
who
mentioned
Lacville
spoke
so
enthusiastically
.
Down
the
whole
party
swept
along
a
narrow
street
,
bordered
by
high
white
houses
,
shabby
cafés
,
and
little
shops
.
Quite
a
crowd
had
left
the
station
,
and
they
were
all
now
going
the
same
way
.
A
turn
in
the
narrow
street
,
and
Sylvia
uttered
a
low
cry
of
pleasure
and
astonishment
!
Before
her
,
like
a
scene
in
a
play
when
the
curtain
is
rung
up
,
there
suddenly
appeared
an
immense
sunlit
expanse
of
water
,
fringed
by
high
trees
,
and
bordered
by
quaint
,
pretty
châlets
and
villas
,
fantastic
in
shape
,
and
each
surrounded
by
a
garden
,
which
in
many
cases
ran
down
to
the
edge
of
the
lake
.
To
the
right
,
stretching
out
over
the
water
,
its
pinnacles
and
minarets
reflected
in
blue
translucent
depths
,
rose
what
looked
like
a
great
white
marble
palace
.
"
Is
it
not
lovely
?
"
said
the
Frenchman
eagerly
.
"
And
the
water
of
the
lake
is
so
shallow
,
Madame
,
there
is
no
fear
of
anyone
being
drowned
in
it
!
That
is
such
an
advantage
when
one
has
children
.
"
"
And
it
is
a
hundred
times
more
charming
in
the
afternoon
,
"
his
wife
chimed
in
,
happily
,
"
for
then
the
lake
is
so
full
of
little
sailing-boats
that
you
can
hardly
see
the
water
.
Oh
,
it
is
gay
then
,
very
gay
!
"
She
glanced
at
Mrs.
Bailey
's
pretty
grey
muslin
dress
and
elegant
parasol
.
"
I
suppose
Madame
is
going
to
one
of
the
great
restaurants
?
As
for
us
,
we
shall
make
our
way
into
a
wood
and
have
our
luncheon
there
.
It
is
expensive
going
to
a
restaurant
with
children
.
"
She
nodded
pleasantly
,
with
the
easy
,
graceful
familiarity
which
foreigners
show
in
their
dealings
with
strangers
;
and
,
shepherding
their
little
party
along
,
the
worthy
pair
went
briskly
off
by
the
broad
avenue
which
girdles
the
lake
.
Again
Sylvia
felt
curiously
alone
.
She
was
surrounded
on
every
side
by
groups
of
merry-looking
people
,
and
already
out
on
the
lake
there
floated
tiny
white-sailed
boats
,
each
containing
a
man
and
a
girl
.
Everyone
seemed
to
have
a
companion
or
companions
;
she
alone
was
solitary
.
She
even
found
herself
wondering
what
she
was
doing
there
in
a
foreign
country
,
by
herself
,
when
she
might
have
been
in
England
,
in
her
own
pleasant
house
at
Market
Dalling
!
She
took
out
of
her
bag
the
card
which
the
landlord
of
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
had
pressed
upon
her
.
"
Hôtel
Pension
,
Villa
du
Lac
,
Lacville
.
"
She
went
up
rather
timidly
to
a
respectable-looking
old
bourgeois
and
his
wife
.
"
Do
you
know
,
"
she
asked
,
"
where
is
the
Villa
du
Lac
?
"
"
Certainly
,
Madame
,
"
answered
the
old
man
amiably
.
"
It
is
there
,
close
to
you
,
not
a
hundred
yards
away
.
That
big
white
house
to
our
left
.
"
And
then
,
with
that
love
of
giving
information
which
possesses
so
many
Frenchman
,
he
added
:
"
The
Villa
du
Lac
once
belonged
to
the
Marquis
de
Para
,
who
was
gentleman-in-waiting
to
the
Empress
Eugénie
.
He
and
his
family
lived
on
here
long
after
the
war
,
in
fact
"
—
he
lowered
his
voice
—
"
till
the
Concession
was
granted
to
the
Casino
.
You
know
what
I
mean
?
The
Gambling
Concession
.
Since
then
the
world
of
Lacville
has
become
rather
mixed
,
as
I
have
reason
to
know
,
for
my
wife
and
I
have
lived
here
fifteen
years
.
The
Marquis
de
Para
sold
his
charming
villa
.
He
was
driven
away
,
like
so
many
other
excellent
people
.
So
the
Villa
du
Lac
is
now
an
hotel
,
where
doubtless
Madame
has
friends
?
"
Sylvia
bowed
and
thanked
him
.
Yes
,
the
Villa
du
Lac
even
now
looked
like
a
delightful
and
well-kept
private
house
,
rather
than
like
an
hotel
.
It
stood
some
way
back
—
behind
high
wrought-steel
and
gilt
gates
—
from
the
sandy
road
which
lay
between
it
and
the
lake
,
and
the
stone-paved
courtyard
was
edged
with
a
line
of
green
tubs
,
containing
orange
trees
.
Sylvia
walked
through
the
gates
,
which
stood
hospitably
open
,
and
when
she
was
half-way
up
the
horseshoe
stone-staircase
which
led
to
the
front
door
,
a
man
,
dressed
in
the
white
dress
of
a
French
chef
,
and
bearing
an
almost
ludicrous
resemblance
to
M
.
Girard
,
came
hurrying
out
.
"
Madame
Bailey
?
"
he
exclaimed
joyously
,
and
bowing
very
low
.
"
Have
I
the
honour
of
greeting
Madame
Bailey
?
My
cousin
telephoned
to
me
that
you
might
be
coming
,
Madame
,
to
déjeuner
!
"
And
as
Sylvia
smiled
in
assent
:
"
I
am
delighted
,
I
am
honoured
,
by
the
visit
of
Madame
Bailey
!
"
Sylvia
laughed
outright
.
She
really
could
not
help
it
!
It
was
very
nice
and
thoughtful
of
M
.
Girard
to
have
telephoned
to
his
cousin
.
But
how
dreadful
it
would
have
been
if
she
had
gone
straight
back
to
Paris
from
the
station
.
All
these
kind
people
would
have
had
their
trouble
for
nothing
.
M
.
Polperro
was
a
shrewd
Southerner
,
and
he
had
had
the
sense
to
make
but
few
alterations
to
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
It
therefore
retained
something
of
the
grand
air
it
had
worn
in
the
days
when
it
had
been
the
property
of
a
Court
official
.
The
large
,
cool
,
circular
hall
into
which
the
hotel-keeper
ushered
Sylvia
was
charming
,
as
were
the
long
,
finely
decorated
reception-rooms
on
either
side
.
The
dining-room
,
filled
with
small
oval
tables
,
to
which
M
.
Polperro
next
led
his
honoured
guest
,
had
been
built
out
since
the
house
had
become
an
hotel
.
It
commanded
a
view
of
the
lake
on
the
one
side
,
and
of
the
large
,
shady
garden
of
the
villa
on
the
other
.
"
I
have
arranged
for
Madame
a
little
table
in
what
we
call
the
lake
window
,
"
observed
M
.
Polperro
.
"
As
yet
Lacville
is
very
empty
.
Paris
is
so
delightful
,
"
he
sighed
,
"
but
very
soon
,
when
the
heat
comes
,
Lacville
will
be
quite
full
,
"
he
smiled
joyously
.
"
I
myself
have
a
very
choice
clientèle
—
I
do
not
deal
with
rubbish
.
"
He
drew
himself
up
proudly
.
"
My
clients
come
back
to
me
year
after
year
.
Already
I
have
six
visitors
,
and
in
ten
days
my
pension
will
be
au
grand
complet
.
It
is
quality
,
not
quantity
,
that
I
desire
,
Madame
.
If
ever
you
know
anyone
who
wishes
to
come
to
Lacville
you
may
safely
recommend
them
—
I
say
it
with
my
hands
on
my
heart
,
"
and
he
suited
his
action
to
his
words
—
"
to
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
"
How
delightful
it
all
was
to
Sylvia
Bailey
!
No
wonder
her
feeling
of
depression
and
loneliness
vanished
.
As
she
sat
down
,
and
looked
out
of
the
bay
window
which
commanded
the
whole
length
of
the
gleaming
,
sun-flecked
lake
,
she
told
herself
that
,
pleasant
as
was
Paris
,
Lacville
on
a
hot
day
was
certainly
a
hundred
times
pleasanter
than
Paris
.
And
the
Casino
?
Sylvia
fixed
her
blue
eyes
on
the
white
,
fairy-like
group
of
buildings
,
which
were
so
attractive
an
addition
to
the
pretty
landscape
.
Surely
one
might
spend
a
pleasant
time
at
Lacville
and
never
play
for
money
?
Though
she
was
inclined
to
feel
that
in
this
matter
of
gambling
English
people
are
curiously
narrow
.
It
was
better
to
be
philosophical
about
it
,
like
that
excellent
Frenchwoman
in
the
train
,
who
had
not
grudged
her
husband
a
little
amusement
,
even
if
it
entailed
his
losing
what
she
had
described
as
"
hard-earned
money
.
"
Though
she
had
to
wait
nearly
half
an
hour
for
her
meal
,
the
time
passed
quickly
;
and
when
at
last
déjeuner
was
served
to
her
well
and
deftly
by
a
pleasant-faced
young
waitress
dressed
in
Breton
costume
,
each
item
of
the
carefully-prepared
meal
was
delicious
.
M
.
Polperro
had
not
been
chef
to
a
Princess
for
nothing
.
Sylvia
Bailey
was
not
greedy
,
but
like
most
healthy
people
she
enjoyed
good
food
,
and
she
had
very
seldom
tasted
quite
such
good
food
as
that
which
was
served
to
her
at
the
Hôtel
du
Lac
on
this
memorable
June
day
.
She
had
almost
finished
her
luncheon
when
a
fair
young
man
came
in
and
sat
down
at
a
small
table
situated
at
the
other
end
of
the
dining-room
,
close
to
the
window
overlooking
the
garden
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
CHAPTER
IV
As
the
young
man
came
into
the
dining-room
he
glanced
over
to
where
Mrs.
Bailey
was
sitting
and
then
he
looked
away
,
and
,
unfolding
his
table
napkin
,
paid
no
more
attention
to
the
only
other
occupant
of
the
room
.
Now
this
was
a
very
trifling
fact
,
and
yet
it
surprised
our
young
Englishwoman
;
she
had
become
accustomed
to
the
way
in
which
Frenchmen
,
or
perhaps
it
would
be
more
true
to
say
Parisians
,
stare
at
a
pretty
woman
in
the
streets
,
in
omnibuses
,
and
in
shops
.
As
for
the
dining-room
of
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
,
it
always
seemed
full
of
eyes
when
she
and
Anna
Wolsky
were
having
lunch
or
dinner
there
.
Now
,
for
the
first
time
,
she
found
herself
close
to
a
Frenchman
without
feeling
either
uncomfortably
or
amusingly
aware
of
a
steady
,
unwinking
stare
.
It
was
quite
an
odd
sensation
to
find
herself
thus
neglected
!
Without
actually
looking
round
,
Sylvia
,
out
of
the
corner
of
her
blue
eye
,
could
see
this
exceptional
Frenchman
.
He
was
dressed
in
white
flannels
,
and
he
wore
rather
bright
pink
socks
and
a
pink
tie
to
match
.
He
must
be
,
she
decided
,
something
of
a
dandy
.
Though
still
a
young
man
,
he
was
rather
bald
,
and
he
had
a
thick
fair
moustache
.
He
looked
bored
and
very
grave
;
she
could
not
help
wondering
why
he
was
staying
at
Lacville
.
M
.
Polperro
suddenly
appeared
at
the
door
.
"
Would
M
.
le
Comte
prefer
scrambled
eggs
or
an
omelette
?
"
he
asked
obsequiously
,
and
"
M
.
le
Comte
"
lifted
his
head
and
answered
shortly
,
but
with
a
smile
,
"
Scrambled
eggs
,
my
good
Polperro
.
"
Doubtless
this
was
the
gentleman
who
was
brother-in-law
of
the
French
Duke
mentioned
by
M
.
Girard
.
He
spoke
to
the
chef
with
the
kindly
familiarity
born
of
long
knowledge
.
After
having
given
the
Count
his
scrambled
eggs
,
the
young
waitress
came
over
to
where
Sylvia
was
sitting
.
"
Would
Madame
like
to
have
her
coffee
in
the
garden
?
"
she
asked
;
and
Sylvia
said
that
she
would
.
How
enchanting
was
the
garden
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
and
how
unlike
any
hotel
garden
she
had
ever
seen
!
The
smooth
,
wide
lawn
was
shaded
with
noble
cedars
and
bright
green
chestnut
trees
;
it
was
paradise
compared
with
the
rather
stuffy
little
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
and
the
dusty
Paris
streets
.
M
.
Polperro
himself
brought
Sylvia
's
coffee
.
Then
he
stayed
on
talking
to
her
,
for
like
all
clever
hotel-keepers
the
Southerner
had
the
gift
of
making
those
who
were
staying
in
his
house
feel
as
if
they
were
indeed
his
guests
rather
than
his
clients
.
"
If
Madame
should
ever
care
to
make
a
little
stay
at
Lacville
,
how
happy
Madame
Polperro
and
I
would
be
!
"
he
exclaimed
.
"
I
have
a
beautiful
room
overlooking
the
lake
which
I
could
give
Madame
.
It
was
reserved
for
a
Russian
Princess
,
but
now
she
is
not
coming
—
"
"
Perhaps
I
will
come
and
stay
here
some
day
,
"
said
Sylvia
,
and
she
really
felt
as
if
she
would
like
to
come
and
stay
in
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
"
But
I
am
going
to
Switzerland
next
week
,
so
it
will
have
to
be
the
next
time
I
come
to
France
in
the
summer
.
"
"
Does
Madame
play
?
"
asked
M
.
Polperro
,
insinuatingly
.
"
I
?
"
said
Sylvia
,
laughing
.
"
No
,
indeed
!
Of
course
,
I
play
bridge
—
all
English
people
play
bridge
—
but
I
have
never
gambled
,
if
you
mean
that
,
monsieur
,
in
my
life
.
"
"
I
am
delighted
to
hear
Madame
say
so
,
"
said
M
.
Polperro
,
heartily
.
"
People
now
talk
of
Lacville
as
if
there
was
only
the
Casino
and
the
play
.
They
forget
the
beautiful
walks
,
the
lovely
lake
,
and
the
many
other
attractions
we
have
to
offer
!
Why
,
Madame
,
think
of
the
Forest
of
Montmorency
?
In
old
days
it
was
quite
a
drive
from
Lacville
,
but
now
a
taxi
or
an
automobile
will
get
you
there
in
a
few
minutes
!
Still
the
Casino
is
very
attractive
too
;
and
all
my
clients
belong
to
the
Club
!
"
Sylvia
stayed
on
for
nearly
an
hour
in
the
delightful
,
peaceful
garden
,
and
then
,
rather
regretfully
,
she
went
up
the
lichen-covered
steps
which
led
into
the
hall
.
How
deliciously
cool
and
quiet
it
was
there
.
She
paid
her
bill
;
it
seemed
very
moderate
considering
how
good
her
lunch
had
been
,
and
then
slowly
made
her
way
out
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
down
across
the
stone-flagged
courtyard
to
the
gate
,
and
so
into
the
sanded
road
.
Crossing
over
,
she
began
walking
by
the
edge
of
the
lake
;
and
once
more
loneliness
fell
upon
her
.
The
happy-looking
people
who
passed
her
laughing
and
talking
together
,
and
the
more
silent
couples
who
floated
by
on
the
water
in
the
quaint
miniature
sailing
boats
with
which
the
surface
of
the
lake
was
now
dotted
,
were
none
of
them
alone
.
Suddenly
the
old
parish
church
of
Lacville
chimed
out
the
hour
—
it
was
only
one
o'clock
—
amazingly
early
still
!
Someone
coming
across
the
road
lifted
his
hat
.
Could
it
be
to
her
?
Yes
,
for
it
was
the
young
man
who
had
shared
with
her
,
for
a
time
,
the
large
dining-room
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
Again
Sylvia
was
struck
by
what
she
could
only
suppose
were
the
stranger
's
good
manners
,
for
instead
of
staring
at
her
,
as
even
the
good-humoured
bourgeois
with
whom
she
had
travelled
from
Paris
that
morning
had
done
,
the
Count
—
she
remembered
he
was
a
Count
—
turned
sharply
to
the
right
and
walked
briskly
along
to
the
turning
which
led
to
the
Casino
.
The
Casino
?
Why
,
of
course
,
it
was
there
that
she
must
look
for
Anna
Wolsky
.
How
stupid
of
her
not
to
have
thought
of
it
!
And
so
,
after
waiting
a
moment
,
she
also
joined
the
little
string
of
people
who
were
wending
their
way
towards
the
great
white
building
.
After
having
paid
a
franc
for
admission
,
Sylvia
found
herself
in
the
hall
of
the
Casino
of
Lacville
.
An
eager
attendant
rushed
forward
to
relieve
her
of
the
dust-cloak
and
parasol
which
she
was
carrying
.
"
Does
Madame
wish
to
go
straight
to
the
Room
of
the
Games
?
"
he
inquired
eagerly
.
Sylvia
bent
her
head
.
It
was
there
,
or
so
she
supposed
,
that
Anna
would
be
.
Feeling
a
thrill
of
keen
curiosity
,
she
followed
the
man
through
a
prettily-decorated
vestibule
,
and
so
into
a
large
room
,
overlooking
the
lake
,
where
already
a
crowd
of
people
were
gathered
round
the
green
baize
tables
.
The
Salle
des
Jeux
at
Lacville
is
a
charming
,
conservatory-like
apartment
,
looking
,
indeed
,
as
if
it
were
actually
built
out
on
the
water
.
But
none
of
the
people
were
looking
at
the
beautiful
scene
outside
.
Instead
,
each
group
was
intent
on
the
table
,
and
on
the
game
being
played
thereon
—
a
game
,
it
may
be
mentioned
,
which
has
a
certain
affinity
with
Roulette
and
Petits
Chevaux
,
though
it
is
neither
the
one
nor
the
other
.
Sylvia
looked
about
her
timidly
;
but
no
one
took
the
slightest
notice
of
her
,
and
this
in
itself
was
rather
strange
.
She
was
used
to
exciting
a
good
deal
of
attention
wherever
she
went
in
France
,
but
here
,
at
Lacville
,
everyone
seemed
blind
to
her
presence
.
It
was
almost
as
if
she
were
invisible
!
In
a
way
this
was
a
relief
to
her
;
but
at
the
same
time
,
she
found
it
curiously
disconcerting
.
She
walked
slowly
round
each
gambling
table
,
keeping
well
outside
the
various
circles
of
people
sitting
and
standing
there
.
Strange
to
say
Anna
Wolsky
was
not
among
them
.
Of
that
fact
Sylvia
soon
became
quite
sure
.
At
last
a
servant
in
livery
came
up
to
her
.
"
Does
Madame
want
a
seat
?
"
he
asked
officiously
.
"
If
so
,
I
can
procure
Madame
a
seat
in
a
very
few
moments
.
"
But
Sylvia
,
blushing
,
shook
her
head
.
She
certainly
had
no
wish
to
sit
down
.
"
I
only
came
in
to
look
for
a
friend
,
"
she
said
,
hesitatingly
;
"
but
my
friend
is
not
here
.
"
And
she
was
making
her
way
out
of
the
Salle
des
Jeux
,
feeling
rather
disconsolate
and
disappointed
,
when
suddenly
,
in
the
vestibule
,
she
saw
Madame
Wolsky
walking
towards
her
in
the
company
of
a
middle-aged
man
.
"
Then
that
is
settled
?
"
Sylvia
heard
Anna
say
in
her
indifferent
French
.
"
You
will
fill
up
all
the
formalities
,
and
by
the
time
I
arrive
the
card
of
membership
will
be
ready
for
me
?
This
kind
of
thing
"
—
she
waved
her
hand
towards
the
large
room
Sylvia
had
just
left
—
"
is
no
use
to
me
at
all
!
I
only
like
le
Grand
Jeu
"
;
and
a
slight
smile
came
over
her
dark
face
.
The
man
who
was
with
her
laughed
as
if
she
had
made
a
good
joke
;
then
bowing
,
he
left
her
.
"
Sylvia
!
"
"
Anna
!
"
Mrs.
Bailey
fancied
that
the
other
was
not
particularly
sorry
to
have
been
followed
.
"
So
you
came
after
me
?
Well
!
Well
!
I
never
should
have
thought
to
have
seen
my
dear
Puritan
,
Sylvia
Bailey
,
in
such
a
place
as
the
Casino
of
Lacville
?
"
said
the
Polish
lady
laughing
.
"
However
,
as
you
are
here
,
let
us
enjoy
ourselves
.
Would
you
like
to
risk
a
few
francs
?
"
Together
they
had
gone
back
into
the
Salle
des
Jeux
,
and
Anna
drew
Sylvia
towards
the
nearest
table
.
"
This
is
a
child
's
game
!
"
she
exclaimed
,
contemptuously
.
"
I
cannot
understand
how
all
these
clever
Parisians
can
care
to
come
out
here
and
lose
their
money
every
Saturday
and
Sunday
,
to
say
nothing
of
other
days
!
"
"
But
I
suppose
some
of
these
people
make
money
?
"
questioned
Sylvia
.
She
thought
she
saw
a
great
deal
of
money
being
won
,
as
well
as
lost
,
on
the
green
cloth
of
the
table
before
her
.
"
Oh
yes
,
no
doubt
a
few
may
make
money
at
this
game
!
But
I
have
just
been
arranging
,
with
the
aid
of
the
owner
of
the
Pension
where
I
am
going
to
stay
when
I
come
here
,
to
join
the
Club
.
"
And
then
,
realising
that
Sylvia
did
not
understand
,
she
went
on
.
"
You
see
,
my
dear
child
,
there
are
two
kinds
of
play
here
—
as
there
are
,
indeed
,
at
almost
every
Casino
in
France
.
There
is
this
game
,
which
is
,
as
I
say
,
a
child
's
game
—
a
game
at
which
you
can
make
or
lose
a
few
francs
;
and
then
there
is
Baccarat
!
"
She
waited
a
moment
.
"
Yes
?
"
said
Sylvia
questioningly
.
"
Baccarat
is
played
here
in
what
they
call
the
Club
,
in
another
part
of
the
building
.
As
there
is
an
entrance
fee
to
the
Club
,
there
is
never
such
a
crowd
in
the
Baccarat
Room
as
there
is
here
.
And
those
who
belong
to
the
Club
'
mean
business
,
'
as
they
say
in
your
dear
country
.
They
come
,
that
is
,
to
play
in
the
way
that
I
understand
and
that
I
enjoy
play
!
"
A
little
colour
rose
to
Anna
Wolsky
's
sallow
cheeks
;
she
looked
exhilarated
,
excited
at
the
thoughts
and
memories
her
words
conjured
up
.
Sylvia
also
felt
curiously
excited
.
She
found
the
scene
strangely
fascinating
—
the
scene
presented
by
this
crowd
of
eager
men
and
women
,
each
and
all
absorbed
in
this
mysterious
game
which
looked
anything
but
a
child
's
game
,
though
Anna
had
called
it
so
.
But
as
they
were
trying
to
make
their
way
through
the
now
dense
crowd
of
people
,
the
middle-aged
man
who
had
been
with
Anna
when
Sylvia
had
first
seen
her
just
now
hurried
up
to
them
.
"
Everything
is
arranged
,
Madame
!
"
he
exclaimed
.
"
Here
is
your
membership
card
.
May
I
have
the
pleasure
of
taking
you
myself
to
the
Club
?
Your
friend
can
come
too
.
She
does
not
want
to
play
,
does
she
?
"
He
looked
inquisitively
at
Sylvia
,
and
his
hard
face
softened
.
He
had
your
true
Frenchman
's
pleasure
in
charm
and
beauty
.
"
Madame
,
or
is
it
Mademoiselle
?
—
"
"
Madame
!
"
answered
Anna
,
smiling
.
"
—
Madame
can
certainly
come
in
and
look
on
for
a
few
moments
,
even
though
she
be
not
a
member
of
the
Club
.
"
They
turned
and
followed
him
up
a
broad
,
shallow
staircase
,
into
a
part
of
the
Casino
where
the
very
atmosphere
seemed
different
from
that
surrounding
the
public
gaming
tables
.
Here
,
in
the
Club
,
all
was
hushed
and
quiet
,
and
underfoot
was
a
thick
carpet
.
There
were
very
few
people
in
the
Baccarat
Room
,
some
twelve
men
,
and
four
or
five
ladies
who
were
broken
up
into
groups
,
and
talking
with
one
another
in
the
intimate
,
desultory
fashion
in
which
people
talk
who
meet
daily
in
pursuit
of
some
common
interest
or
hobby
.
And
then
,
all
at
once
,
Sylvia
Bailey
saw
that
among
them
,
but
standing
a
little
apart
,
was
the
Count
—
was
not
his
name
de
Virieu
?
He
turned
round
,
and
as
he
saw
her
she
thought
that
a
look
of
surprise
,
almost
of
annoyance
,
flitted
over
his
impassive
face
.
Then
he
moved
away
from
where
he
could
see
her
.
A
peculiar-looking
old
gentleman
,
who
seemed
on
kindly
terms
with
everyone
in
the
room
,
pulled
a
large
turnip
watch
out
of
his
pocket
.
"
It
is
nearly
half-past
one
!
"
he
exclaimed
fussily
.
"
Surely
,
it
is
time
that
we
began
!
Who
takes
the
Bank
to-day
?
"
"
I
will
,
"
said
the
Comte
de
Virieu
,
coming
forward
.
Five
minutes
later
play
was
in
full
swing
.
Sylvia
did
not
in
the
least
understand
the
game
of
Baccarat
,
and
she
would
have
been
surprised
indeed
had
she
been
told
that
the
best
account
of
it
ever
written
is
that
which
describes
it
as
"
neither
a
recreation
nor
an
intellectual
exercise
,
but
simply
a
means
for
the
rapid
exchange
of
money
well
suited
to
persons
of
impatient
temperament
.
"
With
fascinated
eyes
,
Sylvia
watched
Anna
put
down
her
gold
pieces
on
the
green
cloth
.
Then
she
noted
the
cards
as
they
were
dealt
out
,
and
listened
,
it
must
be
admitted
,
uncomprehendingly
,
to
the
mysterious
words
which
told
how
the
game
was
going
.
Still
she
sympathised
very
heartily
with
her
friend
when
Anna
's
gold
pieces
were
swept
away
,
and
she
rejoiced
as
heartily
when
gold
was
added
to
Anna
's
little
pile
.
They
both
stood
,
refusing
the
seats
which
were
pressed
upon
them
.
Suddenly
Sylvia
Bailey
,
looking
up
from
the
green
cloth
,
saw
the
eyes
of
the
man
who
held
the
Bank
fixed
full
upon
her
.
The
Comte
de
Virieu
did
not
gaze
at
the
young
English
woman
with
the
bold
,
impersonal
stare
to
which
she
had
become
accustomed
—
his
glance
was
far
more
thoughtful
,
questioning
,
and
in
a
sense
kindly
.
But
his
eyes
seemed
to
pierce
her
through
and
through
,
and
suddenly
her
heart
began
to
beat
very
fast
.
Yet
no
colour
came
into
her
face
—
indeed
,
Sylvia
grew
pale
.
She
looked
down
at
the
table
,
but
even
so
she
remained
conscious
of
that
piercing
gaze
turned
on
her
,
and
with
some
surprise
she
found
herself
keenly
visualising
the
young
man
's
face
.
Alone
among
all
the
people
in
the
room
,
the
Comte
de
Virieu
looked
as
if
he
lived
a
more
or
less
outdoor
life
;
his
face
was
tanned
,
his
blue
eyes
were
very
bright
,
and
the
hands
dealing
out
the
cards
were
well-shaped
and
muscular
.
Somehow
he
looked
very
different
,
she
could
hardly
explain
how
or
why
,
from
the
men
round
him
.
At
last
she
moved
round
,
so
as
to
avoid
being
opposite
to
him
.
Yes
,
she
felt
more
comfortable
now
,
and
slowly
,
almost
insensibly
,
the
glamour
of
play
began
to
steal
over
Sylvia
Bailey
's
senses
.
She
began
to
understand
the
at
once
very
simple
and
,
to
the
uninitiated
,
intricate
game
of
Baccarat
—
to
long
,
as
Anna
Wolsky
longed
,
for
the
fateful
nine
,
eight
,
five
,
and
four
to
be
turned
up
.
She
had
fifty
francs
in
her
purse
,
and
she
ached
to
risk
a
gold
piece
.
"
Do
you
think
I
might
put
down
ten
francs
?
"
she
whispered
to
Anna
.
And
the
other
laughed
,
and
exclaimed
,
"
Yes
,
of
course
you
can
!
"
Sylvia
put
down
a
ten-franc
piece
,
and
a
moment
later
it
had
become
twenty
francs
.
"
Leave
it
on
,
"
murmured
Anna
,
"
and
see
what
happens
—
"
Sylvia
followed
her
friend
's
advice
,
and
a
larger
gold
piece
was
added
to
the
two
already
there
.
She
took
up
the
forty
francs
with
a
curious
thrill
of
joy
and
fear
.
But
then
an
untoward
little
incident
took
place
.
One
of
the
liveried
men-servants
stepped
forward
.
"
Has
Madame
got
her
card
of
membership
?
"
he
inquired
smoothly
.
Sylvia
blushed
painfully
.
No
,
she
had
not
got
a
card
of
membership
—
and
there
had
been
an
implied
understanding
that
she
was
only
to
look
on
,
not
play
.
She
felt
terribly
ashamed
—
a
very
unusual
feeling
for
Sylvia
Bailey
—
and
the
gold
pieces
she
held
in
her
hand
,
for
she
had
not
yet
put
them
in
her
purse
,
felt
as
if
they
burnt
her
.
But
she
found
a
friend
,
a
defender
in
an
unexpected
quarter
.
The
Count
rose
from
the
table
.
He
said
a
few
words
in
a
low
tone
to
the
servant
,
and
the
man
fell
back
.
"
Of
course
,
this
young
lady
may
play
,
"
he
addressed
Anna
,
"
and
as
Banker
I
wish
her
all
good
luck
!
This
is
probably
her
first
and
her
last
visit
to
Lacville
.
"
He
smiled
pleasantly
,
and
a
little
sadly
.
Sylvia
noticed
that
he
had
a
low
,
agreeable
voice
.
"
Take
her
away
,
Madame
,
when
she
has
won
a
little
more
!
Do
not
give
her
time
to
lose
what
she
has
won
.
"
He
spoke
exactly
as
if
Sylvia
was
a
child
.
She
felt
piqued
,
and
Madame
Wolsky
stared
at
him
rather
haughtily
.
Still
,
she
was
grateful
for
his
intervention
.
"
We
thank
you
,
Monsieur
,
"
she
said
stiffly
.
"
But
I
think
we
have
been
here
quite
long
enough
.
"
He
bowed
,
and
again
sat
down
.
"
I
will
now
take
you
a
drive
,
Sylvia
.
We
have
had
sufficient
of
this
!
"
Anna
walked
towards
the
door
,
and
many
were
the
curious
glances
now
turned
after
the
two
friends
.
"
It
will
amuse
you
to
see
something
of
Lacville
.
As
that
gentleman
said
,
I
do
not
suppose
you
will
ever
come
here
again
.
And
,
as
I
shall
spend
most
of
my
time
in
the
Casino
,
I
can
very
well
afford
to
spare
a
little
while
out
of
it
to-day
!
"
They
made
their
way
out
of
the
great
white
building
,
Sylvia
feeling
oppressed
,
almost
bewildered
,
by
her
first
taste
of
gambling
.
It
was
three
o'clock
,
and
very
hot
.
They
hailed
one
of
the
little
open
carriages
which
are
among
the
innocent
charms
of
Lacville
.
"
First
you
will
go
round
the
lake
,
"
said
Madame
Wolsky
to
the
driver
,
"
and
then
you
will
take
us
to
the
Pension
Malfait
,
in
l'Avenue
des
Acacias
.
"
Under
shady
trees
,
bowling
along
sanded
roads
lined
with
pretty
villas
and
châlets
,
they
drove
all
round
the
lake
,
and
more
and
more
the
place
impressed
Sylvia
as
might
have
done
a
charming
piece
of
scene-painting
.
All
the
people
they
passed
on
the
road
,
in
carriages
,
in
motor-cars
,
and
on
foot
,
looked
happy
,
prosperous
,
gay
,
and
without
a
care
in
the
world
;
and
where
in
the
morning
there
had
been
one
boat
,
there
were
now
five
sailing
on
the
blue
,
gleaming
waters
fringed
with
trees
and
flowering
shrubs
.
At
last
they
once
more
found
themselves
close
to
the
Casino
.
A
steady
stream
of
people
was
now
pouring
in
through
the
great
glass
doors
.
"
This
sort
of
thing
will
go
on
up
till
about
nine
this
evening
!
"
said
Anna
,
smiling
grimly
.
"
Think
,
my
dear
—
a
hundred
and
twenty
trains
daily
!
That
room
in
the
Casino
where
I
first
saw
you
will
be
crammed
to
suffocation
within
an
hour
,
and
even
the
Club
will
be
well
filled
,
though
I
fancy
the
regular
habitués
of
the
club
are
rather
apt
to
avoid
Saturday
and
Sunday
at
Lacville
.
I
myself
,
when
living
here
,
shall
try
to
do
something
else
on
those
two
days
.
By
the
way
—
how
dreadful
that
I
should
forget
!
—
have
you
had
a
proper
déjeuner
?
"
she
looked
anxiously
at
Sylvia
.
Sylvia
laughed
,
and
told
something
of
her
adventures
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
"
The
Villa
du
Lac
?
I
have
heard
of
it
,
but
surely
it
's
an
extremely
expensive
hotel
?
The
place
I
've
chosen
for
myself
is
farther
away
from
the
Casino
;
but
the
distance
will
force
me
to
take
a
walk
every
day
,
and
that
will
be
a
very
good
thing
.
Last
time
I
was
at
Monte
Carlo
I
had
a
lodging
right
up
in
Monaco
,
and
I
found
that
a
very
much
healthier
plan
than
to
live
close
to
the
Casino
,
"
Anna
spoke
quite
seriously
.
"
The
Pension
Malfait
is
really
extraordinarily
cheap
for
a
place
near
Paris
.
I
am
only
going
to
pay
fifty-five
francs
a
week
,
tout
compris
!
"
They
had
now
turned
from
the
road
encircling
the
lake
,
and
were
driving
through
leafy
avenues
which
reminded
Sylvia
of
a
London
suburb
where
she
had
once
stayed
.
The
châlets
and
villas
by
which
they
passed
were
not
so
large
nor
so
prosperous-looking
as
those
that
bordered
the
lake
,
but
still
many
of
them
were
pretty
and
fantastic-looking
little
houses
,
and
the
gardens
were
gay
with
flowers
.
"
I
suppose
no
one
lives
here
in
the
winter
!
"
said
Sylvia
suddenly
.
She
had
noticed
,
for
in
some
ways
she
was
very
observant
though
in
other
ways
strangely
unseeing
,
that
all
the
flowers
were
of
the
bedding-out
varieties
;
there
were
luxuriant
creepers
,
but
not
a
single
garden
that
she
passed
had
that
indefinable
look
of
being
an
old
or
a
well-tended
garden
.
"
In
the
winter
?
Why
,
in
the
winter
Lacville
is
an
absolute
desert
,
"
said
Anna
laughing
.
"
You
see
,
the
Casino
only
has
a
summer
Concession
;
it
cannot
open
till
April
15.
Of
course
there
are
people
who
will
tell
you
that
Lacville
is
the
plague-pit
of
Paris
,
but
that
's
all
nonsense
!
Lacville
is
neither
better
nor
worse
than
other
towns
near
the
capital
!
"
The
carriage
had
now
drawn
up
before
a
large
,
plain
,
white
house
,
across
which
was
painted
in
huge
,
black
letters
,
"
Hôtel-Pension
Malfait
.
"
"
This
is
the
place
I
have
found
!
"
exclaimed
Anna
.
"
Would
you
care
to
come
in
and
see
the
room
I
've
engaged
from
next
Monday
week
?
"
Sylvia
followed
her
into
the
house
with
curiosity
and
interest
.
Somehow
she
did
not
like
the
Pension
Malfait
,
though
it
was
clear
that
it
had
once
been
a
handsome
private
mansion
standing
in
large
grounds
of
its
own
.
The
garden
,
however
,
had
now
been
cut
down
to
a
small
strip
,
and
the
whole
place
formed
a
great
contrast
to
the
gay
and
charming
Villa
du
Lac
.
What
garden
there
was
seemed
uncared
for
,
though
an
attempt
had
been
made
to
make
it
look
pretty
with
the
aid
of
a
few
geraniums
and
marguerites
.
M
.
Malfait
,
the
proprietor
of
the
Pension
,
whom
Sylvia
had
already
seen
with
Anna
at
the
Casino
,
now
came
forward
in
the
hall
,
and
Sylvia
compared
him
greatly
to
his
disadvantage
,
to
the
merry
M
.
Polperro
.
"
Madame
has
brought
her
friend
?
"
he
said
eagerly
,
and
staring
at
Sylvia
as
he
spoke
.
"
I
hope
that
Madame
's
friend
will
come
and
stay
with
us
too
?
I
have
a
charming
room
which
I
could
give
this
lady
;
but
later
on
we
shall
be
very
full
—
full
all
the
summer
!
The
hot
weather
is
a
godsend
for
Lacville
;
for
it
drives
the
Parisians
out
from
their
unhealthy
city
.
"
He
beckoned
to
his
wife
,
a
disagreeable-looking
woman
who
was
sitting
in
a
little
glass
cage
made
in
an
angle
of
the
square
hall
.
"
Madame
Wolsky
has
brought
this
good
lady
to
see
our
Pension
!
"
he
exclaimed
,
"
and
perhaps
she
is
also
coming
to
stay
with
us
—
"
In
vain
Sylvia
smilingly
shook
her
head
.
She
was
made
to
go
all
over
the
large
,
rather
gloomy
house
,
and
to
peep
into
each
of
the
bare
,
ugly
bed-rooms
.
That
which
Anna
had
engaged
had
a
window
looking
over
the
back
of
the
house
;
Sylvia
thought
it
singularly
cheerless
.
There
was
,
however
,
a
good
arm-chair
and
a
writing-table
on
which
lay
a
new-looking
blotter
.
It
was
the
only
bed-room
containing
such
a
luxury
.
"
An
English
lady
was
staying
here
not
very
long
ago
,
"
observed
M
.
Malfait
,
"
and
she
bought
that
table
and
left
it
to
me
as
a
little
gift
when
she
went
away
.
That
was
very
gracious
on
her
part
!
"
They
glanced
into
the
rather
mournful-looking
salon
,
of
which
the
windows
opened
out
on
the
tiny
garden
.
And
then
M
.
Malfait
led
them
proudly
into
the
dining-room
,
with
its
one
long
table
,
running
down
the
middle
,
on
which
at
intervals
were
set
dessert
dishes
filled
with
the
nuts
,
grapes
,
and
oranges
of
which
Sylvia
had
already
become
so
weary
at
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
.
"
My
clientèle
,
"
said
M
.
Malfait
gravely
,
"
is
very
select
and
chic
.
Those
of
my
guests
who
frequent
the
Casino
all
belong
to
the
Club
!
"
He
stated
the
fact
proudly
,
and
Sylvia
was
amused
to
notice
that
in
this
matter
he
and
mine
host
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
apparently
saw
eye
to
eye
.
Both
were
eager
to
dissociate
themselves
from
the
ordinary
gambler
who
lost
or
won
a
few
francs
in
those
of
the
gambling
rooms
open
to
the
general
public
.
"
Well
,
"
said
Anna
at
last
,
"
I
suppose
we
had
better
leave
now
,
but
we
might
as
well
go
on
driving
for
about
an
hour
,
and
then
,
when
it
is
a
little
cooler
,
we
will
go
back
to
Paris
and
be
there
in
time
for
tea
.
"
The
driver
was
as
good-natured
as
everyone
else
at
Lacville
seemed
to
be
.
He
drove
his
fares
away
from
the
town
,
and
so
to
the
very
outskirts
of
Lacville
,
where
there
were
many
charming
bits
of
wild
woodland
and
gardens
up
for
sale
.
"
Even
five
years
ago
,
"
he
said
,
"
much
of
this
was
forest
,
Mesdames
;
but
now
—
well
,
Dame
!
—
you
can
understand
people
are
eager
to
sell
.
There
are
rumours
that
the
Concession
may
be
withdrawn
from
the
Casino
—
that
would
be
terrible
,
some
say
it
would
kill
Lacville
!
It
would
be
all
the
same
to
me
,
I
should
always
find
work
elsewhere
.
But
it
makes
everyone
eager
to
sell
—
those
,
I
mean
,
who
have
land
at
Lacville
.
There
are
others
,
"
continued
the
man
—
he
had
turned
round
on
his
seat
,
and
the
horse
was
going
at
a
foot
's
pace
—
"
who
declare
that
it
would
be
far
better
for
the
town
—
that
there
would
be
a
more
solid
population
established
here
—
you
understand
,
Mesdames
,
what
I
mean
?
The
Lacville
tradesmen
would
be
as
pleased
,
quite
as
pleased
,
or
so
some
of
them
say
;
but
,
all
the
same
,
they
are
selling
their
land
!
"
When
the
two
friends
finally
got
back
to
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
,
Sylvia
Bailey
found
that
a
letter
,
which
had
not
been
given
to
her
that
morning
,
contained
the
news
that
the
English
friends
whom
she
had
been
expecting
to
join
in
Switzerland
the
following
week
had
altered
their
plans
,
and
were
no
longer
going
abroad
.
CHAPTER
V
Sylvia
could
hardly
have
said
how
it
came
about
that
she
found
herself
established
in
the
Villa
du
Lac
only
a
week
after
her
first
visit
to
Lacville
!
But
so
it
was
,
and
she
found
the
change
a
delightful
one
from
every
point
of
view
.
Paris
had
suddenly
become
intolerably
hot
.
As
is
the
way
with
the
Siren
city
when
June
is
half-way
through
,
the
asphalt
pavements
radiated
heat
;
the
air
was
heavy
,
laden
with
strange
,
unpleasing
odours
;
and
even
the
trees
,
which
form
such
delicious
oases
of
greenery
in
the
older
quarters
of
the
town
were
powdered
with
grey
dust
.
Also
Anna
Wolsky
had
become
restless
—
quite
unlike
what
she
had
been
before
that
hour
spent
by
her
and
by
Sylvia
Bailey
in
the
Club
at
Lacville
;
she
had
gone
back
there
three
times
,
refusing
,
almost
angrily
,
the
company
of
her
English
friend
.
For
a
day
or
two
Sylvia
had
thought
seriously
of
returning
to
England
,
but
she
had
let
her
pretty
house
at
Market
Dalling
till
the
end
of
August
;
and
,
in
spite
of
the
heat
,
she
did
not
wish
to
leave
France
.
Towards
the
end
of
the
week
Anna
suddenly
exclaimed
:
"
After
all
,
why
should
n't
you
come
out
to
Lacville
,
Sylvia
?
You
ca
n't
go
to
Switzerland
alone
,
and
you
certainly
do
n't
want
to
go
on
staying
in
Paris
as
Paris
is
now
!
I
do
not
ask
you
to
go
to
the
Pension
Malfait
,
but
come
to
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
You
will
soon
make
acquaintances
in
that
sort
of
place
—
I
mean
,
"
she
added
,
"
in
your
hotel
,
not
in
the
town
.
We
could
always
spend
the
mornings
together
—
"
"
—
And
I
,
too
,
could
join
the
Club
at
the
Casino
,
"
interjected
Sylvia
,
smiling
.
"
No
,
no
,
I
do
n't
want
you
to
do
that
!
"
exclaimed
Anna
hastily
.
And
then
Sylvia
,
for
some
unaccountable
reason
,
felt
rather
irritated
.
It
was
absurd
of
Anna
to
speak
to
her
like
that
!
Bill
Chester
,
her
trustee
,
and
sometime
lover
,
always
treated
her
as
if
she
was
a
child
,
and
a
rather
naughty
child
,
too
;
she
would
not
allow
Anna
Wolsky
to
do
so
.
"
I
do
n't
see
why
not
!
"
she
cried
.
"
You
yourself
say
that
there
is
no
harm
in
gambling
if
one
can
afford
it
.
"
This
was
how
Sylvia
Bailey
came
to
find
herself
an
inmate
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
at
Lacville
;
and
when
once
the
owner
of
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
had
understood
that
in
any
case
she
meant
to
leave
Paris
,
he
had
done
all
in
his
power
to
make
her
going
to
his
relation
,
mine
host
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
easy
and
agreeable
.
Sylvia
learnt
with
surprise
that
she
would
have
to
pay
very
little
more
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
than
she
had
done
at
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
;
on
the
other
hand
,
she
could
not
there
have
the
use
of
a
sitting-room
,
for
the
good
reason
that
there
were
no
private
sitting-rooms
in
the
villa
.
But
that
,
so
she
told
herself
,
would
be
no
hardship
,
and
she
could
spend
almost
the
whole
of
the
day
in
the
charming
garden
.
The
two
friends
arrived
at
Lacville
late
in
the
afternoon
,
and
on
a
Monday
,
that
is
on
the
quietest
day
of
the
week
.
And
when
Anna
had
left
Sylvia
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
driving
off
alone
to
her
own
humbler
pension
,
the
young
Englishwoman
,
while
feeling
rather
lonely
,
realised
that
M
.
Polperro
had
not
exaggerated
the
charm
of
his
hostelry
.
Proudly
mine
host
led
Mrs.
Bailey
up
the
wide
staircase
into
the
spacious
,
airy
room
which
had
been
prepared
for
her
.
"
This
was
the
bed-chamber
of
Madame
la
Comtesse
de
Para
,
the
friend
of
the
Empress
Eugénie
"
he
said
.
The
windows
of
the
large
,
circular
room
,
mirror-lined
,
and
still
containing
the
fantastic
,
rather
showy
decorations
which
dated
from
the
Second
Empire
,
overlooked
the
broad
waters
of
the
lake
.
Even
now
,
though
it
was
still
daylight
,
certain
romantic-natured
couples
had
lit
paper
lanterns
and
hung
them
at
the
prows
of
their
little
sailing-boats
.
The
scene
had
a
certain
fairy-like
beauty
and
stillness
.
"
Madame
will
find
the
Villa
du
Lac
far
more
lively
now
"
exclaimed
M
.
Polperro
cheerfully
.
"
Last
week
I
had
only
M
.
le
Comte
Paul
de
Virieu
—
no
doubt
Madame
has
heard
of
his
brother-in-law
,
the
Duc
d'Eglemont
?
"
Sylvia
smiled
.
"
Yes
,
he
won
the
Derby
,
a
famous
English
race
,
"
she
said
;
and
then
,
simply
because
the
landlord
's
love
of
talking
was
infectious
,
"
And
does
the
Count
own
horses
,
too
?
"
she
asked
.
"
Oh
,
no
,
Madame
.
He
loves
them
,
yes
,
and
he
is
a
fine
horseman
,
but
Count
Paul
,
alas
!
has
other
things
that
interest
and
occupy
him
more
than
horses
!
"
After
M
.
Polperro
had
bowed
himself
out
,
Sylvia
sat
down
close
to
one
of
the
open
windows
and
looked
out
over
the
enchanting
,
and
to
her
English
eyes
,
unusual
panorama
spread
out
before
her
.
Yes
,
she
had
done
well
to
come
here
,
to
a
place
of
which
,
no
doubt
,
many
of
her
English
friends
would
have
thoroughly
disapproved
!
But
,
after
all
,
what
was
wrong
about
Lacville
?
Where
,
for
the
matter
of
that
,
was
the
harm
of
playing
for
money
if
one
could
afford
to
lose
it
?
Sylvia
had
hardly
ever
met
so
kind
or
so
intelligent
a
woman
as
was
her
new
friend
,
Anna
Wolsky
:
and
Anna
—
she
made
no
secret
of
it
at
all
—
allowed
playing
for
money
to
be
her
one
absorbing
interest
in
life
.
As
she
thought
of
the
Polish
woman
Sylvia
felt
sorry
that
she
and
her
friend
were
in
different
pensions
.
It
would
have
been
so
nice
to
have
had
her
here
,
in
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
She
felt
rather
lost
without
Anna
,
for
she
had
become
accustomed
to
the
other
's
pleasant
,
stimulating
companionship
.
M
.
Polperro
had
said
that
dinner
was
at
half-past
seven
.
Sylvia
got
up
from
her
chair
by
the
window
.
She
moved
back
into
the
room
and
put
on
a
pretty
white
lace
evening
dress
which
she
had
not
worn
since
she
had
been
in
France
.
It
would
have
been
absurd
to
have
appeared
in
such
a
gown
in
the
little
dining-room
of
the
Hôtel
de
l'Horloge
,
which
opened
into
the
street
;
but
the
Villa
du
Lac
was
quite
different
.
As
she
saw
herself
reflected
in
one
of
the
long
mirrors
let
into
the
wall
,
Sylvia
blushed
and
half-smiled
.
She
had
suddenly
remembered
the
young
man
who
had
behaved
,
on
that
first
visit
of
hers
to
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
so
much
more
discreetly
than
had
all
the
other
Frenchmen
with
whom
she
had
been
brought
in
temporary
contact
.
She
was
familiar
,
through
newspaper
paragraphs
,
with
the
name
of
his
brother-in-law
,
the
French
duke
who
had
won
the
Derby
.
The
Duc
d'Eglemont
,
that
was
the
racing
French
duke
who
had
carried
off
the
blue
riband
of
the
British
Turf
—
the
other
name
was
harder
to
remember
—
then
it
came
to
her
.
Count
Paul
de
Virieu
.
How
kind
and
courteous
he
had
been
to
her
and
her
friend
in
the
Club
.
She
remembered
him
very
vividly
.
Yes
,
though
not
exactly
good-looking
,
he
had
fine
eyes
,
and
a
clever
,
if
not
a
very
happy
,
face
.
And
then
,
on
going
down
the
broad
,
shallow
staircase
,
and
so
through
the
large
,
oval
hall
into
the
dining-room
,
Sylvia
Bailey
saw
that
the
man
of
whom
she
had
been
thinking
was
there
,
sitting
very
near
to
where
she
herself
was
now
told
that
she
was
to
sit
.
In
the
week
that
had
gone
by
since
Sylvia
had
paid
her
first
visit
to
Lacville
,
the
Villa
had
gradually
filled
up
with
people
eager
,
like
herself
,
to
escape
from
the
heat
and
dust
of
Paris
,
and
the
pleasant
little
table
