eagerly.
"
But
do
n't
let
's
talk
of
disagreeable
things
—
I
'm
going
to
take
you
such
a
splendid
drive
!
"
Chester
never
forgot
that
first
day
of
his
at
Lacville
.
It
was
by
far
the
pleasantest
day
he
spent
there
,
and
Sylvia
Bailey
,
woman-like
,
managed
entirely
to
conceal
from
him
that
she
was
not
as
pleased
with
their
expedition
as
was
her
companion
.
Thanks
to
M
.
Polperro
's
good
offices
,
they
managed
to
hire
a
really
good
motor
;
and
once
clear
of
the
fantastic
little
houses
and
the
waste
ground
which
was
all
up
for
sale
,
how
old-world
and
beautiful
were
the
little
hamlets
,
the
remote
stretches
of
woodland
and
the
quiet
country
towns
through
which
they
sped
!
On
their
way
back
,
something
said
by
Sylvia
surprised
and
disturbed
Chester
very
much
.
She
had
meant
to
conceal
the
fact
that
she
was
riding
with
Paul
de
Virieu
each
morning
,
but
it
is
very
difficult
for
one
accustomed
always
to
tell
the
truth
to
use
deceit
.
And
suddenly
a
careless
word
revealed
to
Chester
that
the
horsewoman
whose
voice
had
sounded
so
oddly
familiar
to
him
in
the
Forest
that
morning
had
really
been
Sylvia
herself
!
He
turned
on
her
quickly
:
"
Then
do
you
ride
every
morning
with
this
Frenchman
?
"
he
asked
quietly
.
"
Almost
every
morning
,
"
she
answered
.
"
His
sister
lent
me
a
horse
and
a
riding
habit
.
It
was
very
kind
of
her
,
"
she
raised
her
voice
,
and
blushed
deeply
in
the
rushing
wind
.
Chester
felt
his
mind
suddenly
fill
with
angry
suspicion
.
Was
it
possible
that
this
Comte
de
Virieu
,
this
man
of
whom
that
nice
Madame
Wachner
had
spoken
with
such
scorn
as
a
confirmed
gambler
,
was
"
making
up
"
to
Sylvia
?
It
was
a
monstrous
idea
—
but
Chester
,
being
a
solicitor
,
knew
only
too
well
that
in
the
matter
of
marriage
the
most
monstrous
and
disastrous
things
are
not
only
always
possible
but
sometimes
probable
.
Chester
believed
that
all
Frenchmen
regard
marriage
as
a
matter
of
business
.
To
such
a
man
as
this
Count
,
Mrs.
Bailey
's
fortune
would
be
a
godsend
.
"
Sylvia
!
"
he
exclaimed
,
in
a
low
,
stern
voice
.
He
turned
round
and
looked
at
her
.
She
was
staring
straight
before
her
;
the
colour
had
faded
from
her
cheek
;
she
looked
pale
and
tired
.
"
Sylvia
!
"
he
repeated
.
"
Listen
to
me
,
and
—
and
do
n't
be
offended
.
"
She
glanced
quickly
at
the
man
sitting
by
her
side
.
His
voice
was
charged
with
emotion
,
with
anger
.
"
Do
n't
be
angry
with
me
,
"
he
repeated
.
"
If
my
suspicion
,
my
fear
,
is
unfounded
,
I
beg
your
pardon
with
all
my
heart
.
"
Sylvia
got
up
and
touched
the
driver
on
the
shoulder
.
"
Please
slow
down
,
"
she
said
in
French
,
"
we
are
going
faster
than
I
like
.
"
Then
she
sank
back
in
her
seat
.
"
Yes
,
Bill
!
What
is
it
you
wish
to
ask
me
?
I
could
n't
hear
you
properly
.
We
were
going
too
fast
.
"
"
Is
it
possible
,
is
it
conceivable
,
that
you
are
thinking
of
marrying
this
Frenchman
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Sylvia
,
very
quietly
,
"
I
am
not
thinking
of
marrying
the
Comte
de
Virieu
.
But
he
is
my
friend
.
I
—
I
like
and
respect
him
.
No
,
Bill
,
you
need
not
fear
that
the
Comte
de
Virieu
will
ever
ask
me
to
become
his
wife
.
"
"
But
if
he
did
?
"
asked
Chester
,
hoarsely
.
"
You
have
no
right
to
ask
me
such
a
question
,
"
she
answered
,
passionately
;
and
then
,
after
a
pause
,
she
added
,
in
a
low
voice
:
"
But
if
he
did
,
I
should
say
no
,
Bill
.
"
Her
eyes
were
full
of
tears
.
As
for
Chester
,
he
felt
a
variety
of
conflicting
emotions
,
of
which
perhaps
the
strongest
was
a
determination
that
if
he
could
not
get
her
no
one
else
should
do
so
.
This
—
this
damned
French
gambler
had
touched
Sylvia
's
kind
heart
.
Surely
she
could
n't
care
for
a
man
she
had
only
known
a
month
,
and
such
an
affected
,
dandified
fellow
,
too
?
It
was
with
relief
that
they
both
became
aware
a
few
moments
later
that
they
were
on
the
outskirts
of
Lacville
.
"
Here
is
the
Châlet
des
Muguets
!
"
exclaimed
Sylvia
.
"
Is
n't
it
a
funny
little
place
?
"
The
English
lawyer
stared
at
the
bright
pink
building
;
with
curiosity
and
amusement
.
It
was
indeed
a
funny
little
place
,
this
brick-built
bungalow
,
so
fantastically
and
,
to
his
British
eyes
,
so
ridiculously
decorated
with
blue
china
lozenges
,
on
which
were
painted
giant
lilies
of
the
valley
.
But
he
had
not
long
to
look
,
for
as
the
car
drew
up
before
the
white
gate
Madame
Wachner
's
short
,
broad
figure
came
hurrying
down
the
path
.
She
opened
the
gate
,
and
with
boisterous
heartiness
welcomed
Chester
and
Sylvia
into
the
neglected
garden
.
Chester
looked
round
him
with
an
involuntary
surprise
.
The
Wachners
'
home
was
entirely
unlike
what
he
had
expected
to
find
it
.
He
had
thought
to
see
one
of
those
trim
,
neat
little
villas
surrounded
by
gay
,
exquisitely
tended
little
gardens
which
are
the
pride
of
the
Parisian
suburban
dweller
.
Madame
Wachner
caught
his
glance
,
and
the
thought
crossed
her
mind
uncomfortably
that
she
had
perhaps
made
a
mistake
,
a
serious
mistake
,
in
asking
this
priggish-looking
Englishman
to
come
to
the
Châlet
des
Muguets
.
He
evidently
did
not
like
the
look
of
the
place
.
"
You
wonder
to
see
our
garden
so
untidy
,
"
she
exclaimed
,
regretfully
.
"
Well
,
it
is
the
owner
's
fault
,
not
ours
!
You
would
not
believe
such
a
thing
of
a
Frenchman
,
but
'
e
actually
made
us
promise
that
we
would
do
nothing
—
no
,
nothing
at
all
,
to
'
is
garden
.
'
E
spoke
of
sending
a
man
once
a
week
to
see
after
it
,
but
no
,
'
e
never
did
so
.
"
"
I
have
often
wondered
,
"
broke
in
Sylvia
frankly
,
"
why
you
allowed
your
garden
to
get
into
such
a
state
,
but
now
,
of
course
,
I
understand
.
What
a
very
odd
person
your
landlord
must
be
,
Madame
Wachner
!
It
might
be
such
a
delightful
place
if
kept
in
good
order
.
But
I
'm
glad
you
have
had
the
grass
cut
.
I
remember
the
first
time
I
came
here
the
grass
was
tremendously
high
,
both
in
front
and
behind
the
house
.
Yesterday
I
saw
that
you
have
had
it
cut
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
said
Madame
Wachner
,
glancing
at
her
,
"
yes
,
we
had
the
grass
cut
a
few
days
ago
.
Fritz
insisted
on
it
.
"
"
If
it
had
been
as
high
as
it
was
the
first
time
I
came
here
,
I
could
never
have
made
my
way
through
it
to
the
delightful
little
wood
that
lies
over
there
,
behind
the
châlet
,
"
went
on
Sylvia
.
"
I
do
n't
think
I
told
you
that
I
went
over
there
yesterday
and
waited
a
while
,
hoping
that
you
would
come
back
.
"
"
You
went
into
the
wood
!
"
echoed
Madame
Wachner
in
a
startled
tone
.
"
You
should
not
have
done
that
,
"
she
shook
her
head
gravely
.
"
We
are
forbidden
to
go
into
the
wood
.
We
'
ave
never
gone
into
the
wood
.
"
L'Ami
Fritz
stood
waiting
for
his
visitors
in
the
narrow
doorway
.
He
looked
more
good-tempered
than
usual
,
and
as
they
walked
in
he
chatted
pleasantly
to
Chester
.
"
This
way
,
"
he
said
,
importantly
.
"
Do
not
trouble
to
go
into
the
salon
,
Madame
!
We
shall
have
tea
here
,
of
course
.
"
And
Sylvia
Bailey
was
amused
,
as
well
as
rather
touched
,
to
see
the
preparations
which
had
been
made
in
the
little
dining-room
for
the
entertainment
of
Bill
Chester
and
of
herself
.
In
the
middle
of
the
round
table
which
had
looked
so
bare
yesterday
was
a
bowl
of
white
roses
—
roses
that
had
never
grown
in
the
untidy
garden
outside
.
Two
dessert
dishes
were
heaped
up
with
delicious
cakes
—
the
cakes
for
which
French
pastrycooks
are
justly
famed
.
There
was
also
a
basin
full
of
the
Alpine
strawberries
which
Sylvia
loved
,
and
of
which
she
always
ordered
a
goodly
supply
at
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
Madame
Wachner
had
even
remembered
to
provide
the
thick
cream
,
which
,
to
a
foreign
taste
,
spoils
the
delicate
flavour
of
strawberries
.
They
were
really
very
kind
people
,
these
Wachners
!
Looking
round
the
funny
little
dining-room
,
Sylvia
could
not
help
remembering
how
uncomfortable
she
had
felt
when
sitting
there
alone
the
day
before
.
It
was
hard
now
to
believe
that
she
should
have
had
that
queer
,
eerie
feeling
of
discomfort
and
disquietude
in
such
a
commonplace
,
cheerful
room
.
She
told
herself
that
there
probably
had
been
some
little
creature
hidden
there
—
some
shy
,
wild
thing
,
which
maybe
had
crept
in
out
of
the
wood
.
"
And
now
I
will
go
and
make
the
tea
,
"
said
Madame
Wachner
pleasantly
,
and
Sylvia
gaily
insisted
on
accompanying
her
hostess
into
the
kitchen
.
"
We
shall
'
ave
a
nicer
tea
than
that
first
time
we
made
tea
'
ere
together
,
"
said
Madame
Wachner
jovially
.
The
young
Englishwoman
shook
her
head
,
smiling
.
"
I
had
a
very
good
time
that
afternoon
!
"
she
cried
.
"
And
I
shall
always
feel
grateful
for
your
kindness
to
me
and
to
poor
Anna
,
Madame
Wachner
.
I
do
so
often
wonder
what
Anna
is
doing
with
herself
,
and
where
she
is
staying
in
Paris
.
"
She
looked
wistfully
at
her
companion
.
Madame
Wachner
was
in
the
act
of
pouring
the
boiling
water
into
her
china
teapot
.
"
Ah
,
well
,
"
she
said
,
bending
over
it
,
"
we
shall
never
know
that
.
Your
friend
was
a
strange
person
,
what
I
call
a
solitaire
.
She
did
not
like
gambling
when
there
were
people
whom
she
knew
in
the
Baccarat
Room
with
her
.
As
to
what
she
is
doing
now
—
"
she
shrugged
her
shoulders
,
expressively
.
"
You
know
she
telegraphed
for
her
luggage
yesterday
?
"
said
Sylvia
slowly
.
"
In
that
case
—
if
it
has
had
time
to
arrive
—
Madame
Wolsky
is
probably
on
her
way
to
Aix
,
perhaps
even
to
Monte
Carlo
.
She
did
not
seem
to
mind
whether
it
was
hot
or
cold
if
she
could
get
what
she
wanted
—
that
is
,
Play
—
"
Madame
Wachner
had
now
made
the
tea
.
She
turned
and
stood
with
arms
akimbo
,
staring
out
of
the
little
window
which
gave
on
the
sun-baked
lawn
bounded
by
the
chestnut
wood
.
"
No
,
"
she
said
slowly
,
"
I
do
not
for
a
moment
suppose
that
you
will
ever
see
Madame
Wolsky
again
.
It
would
surprise
me
very
much
if
you
were
to
do
so
.
For
one
thing
,
she
must
be
—
well
,
rather
ashamed
of
the
way
she
treated
you
—
you
who
were
so
kind
to
her
,
Sylvie
!
"
"
She
was
far
kinder
to
me
than
I
was
to
her
,
"
said
Sylvia
in
a
low
voice
.
"
Ah
,
my
dear
"
—
Madame
Wachner
put
her
fat
hand
on
Sylvia
's
shoulder
—
"
you
have
such
a
kind
,
warm
,
generous
heart
—
that
is
the
truth
!
No
,
no
,
Anna
Wolsky
was
not
able
to
appreciate
such
a
friend
as
you
are
!
But
now
the
tea
is
made
,
made
strong
to
the
English
taste
,
we
must
not
leave
L'Ami
Fritz
and
Mr.
Chester
alone
together
.
Gentleman
are
dull
without
ladies
.
"
Carrying
the
teapot
she
led
the
way
into
the
dining-room
,
and
they
sat
down
round
the
table
.
The
little
tea-party
went
off
fairly
well
,
but
Chester
could
not
forget
his
strange
conversation
with
Sylvia
in
the
motor
.
Somehow
,
he
and
she
had
never
come
so
really
near
to
one
another
as
they
had
done
that
afternoon
.
And
yet
,
on
the
other
hand
,
he
felt
that
she
was
quite
unlike
what
he
had
thought
her
to
be
.
It
was
as
if
he
had
come
across
a
new
Sylvia
.
Madame
Wachner
,
looking
at
his
grave
,
absorbed
face
,
felt
uneasy
.
Was
it
possible
that
this
Englishman
intended
to
take
pretty
Mrs.
Bailey
away
from
Lacville
?
That
would
be
a
pity
—
a
very
great
pity
!
She
glanced
apprehensively
at
her
husband
.
L'Ami
Fritz
would
make
himself
very
unpleasant
if
Sylvia
left
Lacville
just
now
.
He
would
certainly
taunt
his
wife
with
all
the
money
they
had
spent
on
her
entertainment
—
it
was
money
which
they
both
intended
should
bear
a
very
high
rate
of
interest
.
CHAPTER
XXII
The
two
following
days
dragged
themselves
uneventfully
away
.
Sylvia
did
her
best
to
be
kind
to
Bill
Chester
,
but
she
felt
ill
at
ease
,
and
could
not
help
showing
it
.
And
then
she
missed
the
excitement
and
interest
of
the
Casino
.
Bill
had
not
suggested
that
they
should
go
there
,
and
she
would
not
be
the
one
to
do
so
.
The
long
motoring
expeditions
they
took
each
afternoon
gave
her
no
pleasure
.
Her
heart
was
far
away
,
in
Brittany
;
in
imagination
she
was
standing
by
a
grave
surrounded
by
a
shadowy
group
of
men
and
women
,
mourning
the
old
Marquise
who
had
left
Count
Paul
the
means
to
become
once
more
a
self-respecting
and
respected
member
of
the
world
to
which
he
belonged
by
right
of
birth
...
.
Had
it
not
been
for
the
Wachners
,
these
two
days
of
dual
solitude
with
Chester
would
have
been
dreary
indeed
,
but
Madame
Wachner
was
their
companion
on
more
than
one
long
excursion
and
wherever
Madame
Wachner
went
there
reigned
a
kind
of
jollity
and
sense
of
cheer
.
Sylvia
wondered
if
the
Comte
de
Virieu
was
indeed
coming
back
as
he
had
said
he
would
do
.
And
yet
she
knew
that
were
he
to
return
now
,
at
once
,
to
his
old
ways
,
his
family
,
those
who
loved
him
,
would
have
the
right
to
think
him
incorrigible
.
As
is
the
way
with
a
woman
when
she
loves
,
Sylvia
did
not
consider
herself
as
a
factor
affecting
his
return
to
Lacville
.
Nay
,
she
was
bitterly
hurt
that
he
had
not
written
her
a
line
since
he
had
left
.
And
now
had
come
the
evening
of
the
day
when
Count
Paul
had
meant
to
come
back
.
But
M
.
Polperro
said
no
word
of
his
return
.
Still
,
it
was
quite
possible
that
he
would
arrive
late
,
and
Sylvia
did
not
wish
to
see
him
when
in
the
company
,
not
only
of
Bill
Chester
,
but
also
of
the
Wachners
.
Somehow
or
other
,
she
had
fallen
into
the
habit
each
evening
of
asking
the
Wachners
to
dinner
.
She
did
so
to-day
,
but
suggested
dining
at
a
restaurant
.
"
Yes
,
if
this
time
,
dear
Sylvia
,
the
host
is
L'Ami
Fritz
!
"
said
Madame
Wachner
decidedly
.
And
after
a
slight
demur
Sylvia
consented
.
They
dined
at
the
hotel
which
is
just
opposite
the
Casino
.
After
the
pleasant
meal
was
over
,
for
it
had
been
pleasant
,
and
the
cheerful
hostess
had
taken
special
pains
over
the
menu
,
Sylvia
weary
at
the
thought
of
another
long
,
dull
evening
in
the
drawing-room
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
was
secretly
pleased
to
hear
Madame
Wachner
exclaim
coaxingly
:
"
And
now
,
I
do
'
ope
,
Mr.
Chester
,
that
you
will
come
over
and
spend
this
evening
at
the
Casino
!
I
know
you
do
not
approve
of
the
play
that
goes
on
there
,
but
still
,
believe
me
,
it
is
the
only
thing
to
do
at
Lacville
.
Lacville
would
be
a
very
dull
place
were
it
not
for
the
Casino
!
"
Chester
smiled
.
"
You
think
me
far
more
particular
than
I
am
really
,
"
he
said
,
lightly
.
"
I
do
n't
in
the
least
mind
going
to
the
Casino
.
"
Why
should
he
be
a
spoil-sport
?
"
But
I
confess
I
cannot
understand
the
kind
of
attraction
play
has
for
some
minds
.
For
instance
,
I
cannot
understand
the
extraordinary
fascination
it
seems
to
exercise
over
such
an
intelligent
man
as
is
that
Comte
de
Virieu
.
"
Madame
Wachner
looked
at
the
speaker
significantly
.
"
Ah
!
"
she
said
.
"
The
poor
Count
!
'
E
is
what
you
call
'
confirmed
'
—
a
confirmed
gambler
.
And
'
e
will
now
be
able
to
play
more
than
ever
,
for
I
'
ear
a
fortune
'
as
been
left
to
'
im
!
"
Sylvia
was
startled
.
She
wondered
how
the
Wachners
could
have
come
to
know
of
the
Count
's
legacy
.
She
got
up
,
with
a
nervous
,
impatient
gesture
.
How
dull
,
how
long
,
how
intolerable
had
been
the
last
two
days
spent
by
her
in
the
company
of
Bill
Chester
,
varied
by
that
of
talkative
Madame
Wachner
and
the
silent
,
dour
Ami
Fritz
!
Her
heart
felt
very
sore
.
During
that
last
hour
she
and
Count
Paul
had
spent
together
in
the
garden
,
she
had
begged
him
to
stay
away
—
to
spend
the
rest
of
the
summer
with
his
sister
.
Supposing
he
took
her
at
her
word
—
supposing
he
never
came
back
to
Lacville
at
all
?
Sylvia
tried
to
tell
herself
that
in
that
case
she
would
be
glad
,
and
that
she
only
wanted
her
friend
to
do
the
best
,
the
wisest
thing
for
himself
.
Such
were
her
thoughts
—
her
painful
thoughts
—
as
she
walked
across
from
the
restaurant
to
the
entrance
of
the
Casino
.
Two
whole
days
had
gone
by
since
she
had
been
there
last
,
and
oh
!
how
long
each
hour
of
those
days
had
seemed
!
The
two
oddly-assorted
couples
passed
through
into
the
hall
,
and
so
up
to
the
closely-guarded
doors
of
the
Club
.
The
Baccarat
Room
was
very
full
,
fuller
than
usual
,
for
several
parties
of
merry
,
rather
boisterous
young
men
had
come
out
from
Paris
to
spend
the
evening
.
She
heard
the
words
that
were
now
so
familiar
,
solemnly
shouted
out
at
the
further
table
:
"
La
Banque
est
aux
enchères
.
Qui
prend
la
Banque
?
"
There
was
a
pause
,
and
there
fell
on
Sylvia
's
ears
the
murmur
of
two
voices
—
the
voice
of
the
official
who
represented
the
Casino
authorities
,
and
the
deep
,
low
voice
which
had
become
so
dear
to
her
—
which
thrilled
her
heart
each
time
she
heard
it
.
Then
Count
Paul
had
come
back
?
He
had
not
followed
her
advice
?
And
instead
of
being
sorry
,
as
she
ought
to
have
been
,
she
was
glad
—
glad
!
Not
glad
to
know
that
he
was
here
in
the
Casino
—
Sylvia
was
sorry
for
that
—
but
glad
that
he
was
once
more
close
to
her
.
Till
this
moment
she
had
scarcely
realised
how
much
his
mere
presence
meant
to
her
.
She
could
not
see
Paul
de
Virieu
,
for
there
was
a
crowd
—
a
noisy
,
chattering
crowd
of
over-dressed
men
,
each
with
a
gaudily-dressed
feminine
companion
—
encompassing
her
on
every
side
.
"
Vingt
mille
francs
en
Banque
!
Une
fois
,
deux
fois
,
messieurs
?
"
A
pause
—
then
the
words
repeated
.
"
Vingt
mille
francs
en
Banque
!
"
Monsieur
Wachner
leant
his
tall
,
lean
form
over
Sylvia
.
She
looked
up
surprised
,
L'Ami
Fritz
very
seldom
spoke
to
her
,
or
for
the
matter
of
that
to
anyone
.
"
You
must
play
to-night
,
Madame
!
"
he
said
imperiously
.
"
I
have
a
feeling
that
to-night
you
will
bring
us
luck
,
as
you
did
that
first
time
you
played
.
"
She
looked
at
him
hesitatingly
.
His
words
made
her
remember
the
friend
to
whom
she
so
seldom
gave
a
thought
nowadays
.
"
Do
you
remember
how
pleased
poor
Anna
was
that
night
?
"
she
whispered
.
Monsieur
Wachner
stared
at
her
,
and
a
look
of
fear
,
almost
of
terror
,
came
over
his
drawn
,
hatchet
face
.
"
Do
not
speak
of
her
,
"
he
exclaimed
harshly
.
"
It
might
bring
us
ill-luck
!
"
And
then
Chester
broke
in
,
"
Sylvia
,
do
play
if
you
want
to
play
!
"
he
cried
rather
impatiently
.
It
angered
him
to
feel
that
she
would
not
do
in
his
presence
what
she
would
most
certainly
have
done
were
he
not
there
.
And
then
Sylvia
suddenly
made
up
her
mind
that
she
would
play
.
Count
Paul
was
holding
the
Bank
.
He
was
risking
—
how
much
was
it
?
—
twenty
thousand
francs
.
Eight
hundred
pounds
of
his
legacy
?
That
was
madness
,
absolute
madness
on
his
part
!
Well
,
she
would
gamble
too
!
There
came
across
her
a
curious
feeling
—
one
that
gave
her
a
certain
painful
joy
—
the
feeling
that
they
two
were
one
.
While
he
was
risking
his
money
,
she
would
try
to
win
his
money
.
Were
he
in
luck
to-night
,
she
would
be
glad
to
know
that
it
would
be
her
money
he
would
win
.
M
.
Wachner
officiously
made
room
for
her
at
the
table
;
and
,
as
she
sat
down
,
the
Comte
de
Virieu
,
looking
round
,
saw
who
had
come
there
,
and
he
flushed
and
looked
away
,
straight
in
front
of
him
.
"
A
Madame
la
main
,
"
said
Monsieur
Wachner
eagerly
indicating
Sylvia
.
And
the
croupier
,
with
a
smile
,
pushed
the
two
fateful
cards
towards
the
fair
young
Englishwoman
.
Sylvia
took
up
the
two
cards
.
She
glanced
down
at
them
.
Yes
,
L'Ami
Fritz
had
been
right
.
She
was
in
luck
to-night
!
In
a
low
voice
she
uttered
the
welcome
words
—
in
French
,
of
course
—
the
words
"
Nine
"
and
"
The
King
,
"
as
she
put
the
cards
,
face
upwards
,
on
the
green
cloth
.
And
then
there
came
for
her
and
for
those
who
backed
her
,
just
as
there
had
done
on
that
first
fateful
evening
at
the
Casino
,
an
extraordinary
run
of
good
fortune
.
Again
and
again
the
cards
were
dealt
to
Sylvia
,
and
again
and
again
she
turned
up
a
Nine
,
a
Queen
,
a
King
,
an
Eight
—
.
Once
more
the
crowd
excitedly
followed
her
luck
,
staring
at
her
with
grateful
pleasure
,
with
fascinated
interest
,
as
she
brought
them
temporary
wealth
.
The
more
she
won
,
the
more
she
made
other
people
win
,
the
more
miserable
Sylvia
felt
,
and
as
she
saw
Count
Paul
's
heap
of
notes
and
gold
diminishing
,
she
grew
unutterably
wretched
.
Eight
hundred
pounds
?
What
an
enormous
lot
of
money
to
risk
in
an
evening
!
Then
there
came
a
change
.
For
a
few
turns
of
the
game
luck
deserted
her
,
and
Sylvia
breathed
more
freely
.
She
glanced
up
into
Count
Paul
's
impassive
face
.
He
looked
worn
and
tired
,
as
well
he
might
be
after
his
long
journey
from
Brittany
.
Then
once
more
magic
fortune
came
back
.
It
seemed
as
if
only
good
cards
—
variations
on
the
fateful
eights
and
nines
—
could
be
dealt
her
.
Suddenly
she
pushed
her
chair
back
and
got
up
.
Protesting
murmurs
rose
on
every
side
.
"
If
Madame
leaves
,
the
luck
will
go
with
her
!
"
she
heard
one
or
two
people
murmur
discontentedly
.
Chester
was
looking
at
her
with
amused
,
sarcastic
,
disapproving
eyes
.
"
Well
!
"
he
exclaimed
.
"
I
do
n't
wonder
you
enjoy
gambling
,
Sylvia
!
Are
you
often
taken
this
way
?
How
much
of
that
poor
fellow
's
money
have
you
won
?
"
"
Ninety
pounds
,
"
she
answered
mechanically
.
"
Ninety
pounds
!
And
have
you
ever
lost
as
much
as
that
,
may
I
ask
,
in
an
evening
?
"
he
was
still
speaking
with
a
good
deal
of
sarcasm
in
his
voice
.
But
still
,
"
money
talks
,
"
and
even
against
his
will
Chester
was
impressed
.
Ninety
pounds
represents
a
very
heavy
bill
of
costs
in
a
country
solicitor
's
practice
.
Sylvia
looked
dully
into
his
face
.
"
No
,
"
she
said
slowly
.
"
No
,
the
most
I
ever
lost
in
one
evening
was
ten
pounds
.
I
always
left
off
playing
when
I
had
lost
ten
pounds
.
That
is
the
one
advantage
the
player
has
over
the
banker
—
he
can
stop
playing
when
he
has
lost
a
small
sum
.
"
"
Oh
!
I
see
!
"
exclaimed
Chester
drily
.
And
then
they
became
silent
,
for
close
by
where
they
now
stood
,
a
little
apart
from
the
table
,
an
angry
altercation
was
going
on
between
Monsieur
and
Madame
Wachner
.
It
was
the
first
time
Sylvia
had
ever
heard
the
worthy
couple
quarrelling
in
public
the
one
with
the
other
.
"
I
tell
you
I
will
not
go
away
!
"
L'Ami
Fritz
was
saying
between
his
teeth
.
"
I
feel
that
to-night
I
am
in
luck
,
in
great
luck
!
What
I
ask
you
to
do
,
Sophie
,
is
to
go
away
yourself
,
and
leave
me
alone
.
I
have
made
a
thousand
francs
this
evening
,
and
at
last
I
have
an
opportunity
of
trying
my
new
system
.
I
am
determined
to
try
it
now
,
to-night
!
No
—
it
is
no
use
your
speaking
to
me
,
no
use
reminding
me
of
any
promise
I
made
to
you
.
If
I
made
such
a
promise
,
I
mean
to
break
it
!
"
Sylvia
looked
round
,
a
good
deal
concerned
.
Madame
Wachner
's
face
was
red
,
and
she
was
plainly
very
angry
and
put
out
.
But
when
she
saw
that
she
and
her
husband
had
attracted
the
attention
of
their
English
friends
,
she
made
a
great
effort
to
regain
her
self-control
and
good
humour
.
"
Very
well
,
"
she
said
,
"
Very
well
,
Fritz
!
Do
not
speak
to
me
as
if
I
were
an
ogress
or
a
dragon
.
I
am
your
wife
;
it
is
my
duty
to
obey
you
.
But
I
will
not
stay
to
see
you
lose
the
good
money
you
have
made
with
the
help
of
our
kind
friend
,
Madame
Sylvia
.
Yes
,
I
will
go
away
and
leave
you
,
my
poor
Fritz
.
"
And
suiting
her
action
to
her
words
,
she
put
her
arm
familiarly
through
Sylvia
's
and
together
they
walked
out
of
the
Baccarat
Room
,
followed
by
Chester
.
When
they
were
in
the
vestibule
Madame
Wachner
turned
to
him
with
a
rueful
smile
:
"
It
is
a
pity
,
"
she
said
,
"
that
Fritz
did
not
come
away
with
us
!
'
E
'
as
made
a
thousand
francs
.
It
is
a
great
deal
of
money
for
us
to
make
—
or
to
lose
.
I
do
not
believe
'
e
will
keep
it
,
for
,
though
you
bring
'
im
luck
,
my
dear
"
—
she
turned
to
Sylvia
—
"
that
Count
always
brings
'
im
bad
luck
.
It
'
as
been
proved
to
me
again
and
again
.
Just
before
you
arrived
at
Lacville
with
poor
Madame
Wolsky
,
Fritz
'
ad
a
'
eavy
loss
!
—
a
very
'
eavy
loss
,
and
all
because
the
Comte
de
Virieu
'
eld
the
Bank
!
"
"
Perhaps
the
Count
will
not
hold
the
Bank
again
to-night
,
"
said
Sylvia
slowly
.
"
Of
course
,
'
e
will
do
so
!
"
the
other
spoke
quite
crossly
,
"
Did
I
not
tell
you
,
Sylvia
,
that
our
day
servant
heard
from
M
.
Polperro
's
wife
,
whose
sister
is
cook
to
the
Duchesse
d'Eglemont
,
that
the
Comte
de
Virieu
'
as
been
left
an
immense
fortune
by
'
is
godmother
?
Well
,
it
is
a
fortune
that
will
soon
melt
"
—
she
chuckled
,
as
if
the
thought
was
very
pleasant
to
her
.
"
But
I
do
not
think
that
any
of
it
is
likely
to
melt
into
Fritz
's
pocket
—
though
,
to
be
sure
,
we
'
ave
been
very
lucky
,
all
of
us
,
to-night
,
"
she
looked
affectionately
at
Sylvia
.
"
Even
you
,
Sir
"
—
Madame
Wachner
turned
to
Chester
with
a
broad
smile
—
"
even
you
must
be
pleased
that
we
came
to
the
Casino
to-night
.
What
a
pity
it
is
you
did
not
risk
something
!
Even
one
pound
!
You
might
'
ave
made
quite
a
nice
lot
of
money
to
take
back
to
England
with
you
—
"
"
—
Or
to
spend
in
Switzerland
!
"
said
Chester
,
laughing
.
"
It
is
to
Switzerland
I
am
going
,
Madame
!
I
shall
leave
here
the
day
after
to-morrow
.
"
"
And
will
you
not
come
back
again
?
"
asked
Madame
Wachner
inquisitively
.
"
I
may
come
back
again
if
Mrs.
Bailey
is
still
here
;
but
I
do
not
suppose
she
will
be
,
for
I
intend
to
spend
at
least
a
fortnight
in
Switzerland
.
"
The
three
were
now
approaching
the
gates
of
the
Villa
du
Lac
.
"
Well
,
Sylvia
,
"
cried
Chester
.
"
I
suppose
I
must
now
say
good-night
?
I
do
not
envy
you
your
ill-gotten
gains
!
"
He
spoke
lightly
,
but
there
was
an
undercurrent
of
reproach
in
his
voice
,
or
so
Sylvia
fancied
.
"
Good-night
!
"
she
said
,
and
her
voice
was
tremulous
.
As
she
held
out
her
hand
the
little
fancy
bag
which
held
all
her
winnings
,
the
bundle
of
notes
and
loose
pieces
of
gold
,
fell
to
the
ground
.
Madame
Wachner
stooped
down
and
picked
it
up
.
"
How
'
eavy
it
is
!
"
she
exclaimed
,
enviously
.
"
Good
gracious
,
Sylvia
!
What
a
lot
you
must
'
ave
made
to-night
?
"
"
And
the
notes
do
n't
weigh
much
,
"
said
Sylvia
.
"
It
's
only
the
gold
that
is
heavy
!
"
But
she
was
not
thinking
of
what
she
was
saying
.
Her
heart
was
full
of
anguish
.
How
could
Paul
de
Virieu
have
been
so
mad
as
to
risk
such
an
immense
sum
,
a
tenth
part
of
the
fortune
—
for
fortune
it
was
—
which
had
just
been
left
to
him
?
Sylvia
hated
herself
for
having
contributed
to
his
losses
.
She
knew
that
it
was
absurd
that
she
should
feel
this
,
for
the
same
cards
would
certainly
have
been
dealt
to
whoever
had
happened
to
take
them
from
the
croupier
.
But
still
,
superstition
is
part
of
the
virus
which
fills
the
gambler
's
blood
,
and
she
had
certainly
won
a
considerable
part
of
the
money
Count
Paul
had
lost
to-night
.
"
May
I
see
you
back
to
your
house
?
"
asked
Chester
of
Madame
Wachner
.
"
Oh
no
,
Monsieur
,
I
must
go
back
to
the
Casino
and
look
after
Fritz
!
'
E
is
a
child
—
quite
a
child
as
regards
money
.
"
Madame
Wachner
sighed
heavily
.
"
No
,
no
,
you
go
'
ome
to
bed
in
the
Pension
Malfait
.
"
"
I
should
n't
think
of
doing
such
a
thing
!
"
he
said
kindly
.
"
I
will
come
back
with
you
to
the
Casino
,
and
together
we
will
persuade
Monsieur
Wachner
to
go
home
.
He
has
had
time
to
make
or
lose
a
good
deal
of
money
in
the
last
few
minutes
.
"
"
Yes
,
indeed
he
'
as
—
"
again
Madame
Wachner
sighed
,
and
Chester
's
heart
went
out
to
her
.
She
was
a
really
nice
old
woman
—
clever
and
intelligent
,
as
well
as
cheerful
and
brave
.
It
seemed
a
great
pity
that
she
should
be
cursed
with
a
gambler
for
a
husband
.
As
they
went
back
into
the
Casino
they
could
hear
the
people
round
them
talking
of
the
Comte
de
Virieu
,
and
of
the
high
play
that
had
gone
on
at
the
club
that
evening
.
"
No
,
he
is
winning
now
,
"
they
heard
someone
say
.
And
Madame
Wachner
looked
anxious
.
If
Count
Paul
were
winning
,
then
her
Fritz
must
be
losing
.
And
alas
!
her
fears
were
justified
.
When
they
got
up
into
the
Baccarat
Room
they
found
L'Ami
Fritz
standing
apart
from
the
tables
,
his
hands
in
his
pockets
,
staring
abstractedly
out
of
a
dark
window
on
to
the
lake
.
"
Well
?
"
cried
Madame
Wachner
sharply
,
"
Well
,
Fritz
?
"
"
I
have
had
no
luck
!
"
he
shook
his
head
angrily
.
"
It
is
all
the
fault
of
that
cursed
system
!
If
I
had
only
begun
at
the
right
,
the
propitious
moment
—
as
I
should
have
done
if
you
had
not
worried
me
and
asked
me
to
go
away
—
I
should
probably
have
made
a
great
deal
of
money
,
"
he
looked
at
her
disconsolately
,
deprecatingly
.
Chester
also
looked
at
Madame
Wachner
.
He
admired
the
wife
's
self-restraint
.
Her
red
face
got
a
little
redder
.
That
was
all
.
"
It
cannot
be
helped
,
"
she
said
a
trifle
coldly
,
and
in
French
.
"
I
knew
how
it
would
be
,
so
I
am
not
disappointed
.
Have
you
anything
left
?
Have
you
got
the
five
louis
I
gave
you
at
the
beginning
of
the
evening
?
"
Monsieur
Wachner
shook
his
head
gloomily
.
"
Well
then
,
it
is
about
time
we
went
home
.
"
She
turned
and
led
the
way
out
.
CHAPTER
XXIII
As
Sylvia
went
slowly
and
wearily
up
to
her
room
a
sudden
horror
of
Lacville
swept
over
her
excited
brain
.
For
the
first
time
since
she
had
been
in
the
Villa
du
Lac
,
she
locked
the
door
of
her
bed-room
and
sat
down
in
the
darkness
.
She
was
overwhelmed
with
feelings
of
humiliation
and
pain
.
She
told
herself
with
bitter
self-scorn
that
Paul
de
Virieu
cared
nothing
for
her
.
If
he
had
cared
ever
so
little
he
surely
would
never
have
done
what
he
had
done
to-night
?
But
such
thoughts
were
futile
,
and
soon
she
rose
and
turned
on
the
electric
light
.
Then
she
sat
down
at
a
little
writing-table
which
had
been
thoughtfully
provided
for
her
by
M
.
Polperro
,
and
hurriedly
,
with
feverish
eagerness
,
wrote
a
note
.
Dear
Count
de
Virieu
—
I
am
very
tired
to-night
,
and
I
do
not
feel
as
if
I
should
be
well
enough
to
ride
to-morrow
.
—
Yours
sincerely
,
Sylvia
Bailey
.
That
was
all
,
but
it
was
enough
.
Hitherto
she
had
evidently
been
—
hateful
thought
—
what
the
matrons
of
Market
Dalling
called
"
coming
on
"
in
her
manner
to
Count
Paul
;
henceforth
she
would
be
cold
and
distant
to
him
.
She
put
her
note
into
an
envelope
,
addressed
it
,
and
went
downstairs
again
.
It
was
very
late
,
but
M
.
Polperro
was
still
up
.
The
landlord
never
went
to
bed
till
each
one
of
his
clients
was
safe
indoors
.
"
Will
you
kindly
see
that
the
Comte
de
Virieu
gets
this
to-night
?
"
she
said
briefly
.
And
then
,
as
the
little
man
looked
at
her
with
some
surprise
,
"
It
is
to
tell
the
Count
that
I
cannot
ride
to-morrow
morning
.
It
is
late
,
and
I
am
very
tired
;
sleepy
,
too
,
after
the
long
motoring
expedition
I
took
this
afternoon
!
"
She
tried
to
smile
.
M
.
Polperro
bowed
.
"
Certainly
,
Madame
.
The
Count
shall
have
this
note
the
moment
he
returns
from
the
Casino
.
He
will
not
be
long
now
.
"
But
the
promises
of
Southerners
are
pie-crust
.
Doubtless
M
.
Polperro
meant
the
Count
to
have
the
note
that
night
,
but
he
put
it
aside
and
forgot
all
about
it
.
Sylvia
had
a
broken
night
,
and
she
was
still
sleeping
heavily
when
she
was
wakened
by
the
now
familiar
sound
of
the
horses
being
brought
into
the
courtyard
.
She
jumped
out
of
bed
and
peeped
through
an
opening
in
the
closed
curtains
.
It
was
a
beautiful
morning
.
The
waters
of
the
lake
dimpled
in
the
sun
.
A
door
opened
,
and
Sylvia
heard
voices
.
Then
Count
Paul
was
going
riding
after
all
,
and
by
himself
?
Sylvia
felt
a
pang
of
unreasoning
anger
and
regret
.
Paul
de
Virieu
and
M
.
Polperro
were
standing
side
by
side
;
suddenly
she
saw
the
hotel-keeper
hand
the
Count
,
with
a
gesture
of
excuse
,
the
note
she
had
written
the
night
before
.
Count
Paul
read
it
through
,
then
he
put
it
back
in
its
envelope
,
and
placed
it
in
the
breast
pocket
of
his
coat
.
He
did
not
send
the
horses
away
,
as
Sylvia
in
her
heart
had
rather
hoped
he
would
do
,
but
he
said
a
word
to
M
.
Polperro
,
who
ran
into
the
Villa
and
returned
a
moment
later
with
something
which
he
handed
,
with
a
deferential
bow
to
the
Count
.
It
was
a
cardcase
,
and
Paul
de
Virieu
scribbled
something
on
a
card
and
gave
it
to
M
.
Polperro
.
A
minute
later
he
had
ridden
out
of
the
gates
.
Sylvia
moved
away
from
the
window
,
but
she
was
in
no
mood
to
go
back
to
bed
.
She
felt
restless
,
excited
,
sorry
that
she
had
given
up
her
ride
.
When
at
last
her
tea
was
brought
in
,
she
saw
the
Count
's
card
lying
on
the
tray
:
Madame
—
I
regret
very
much
to
hear
that
you
are
not
well
—
so
ran
his
pencilled
words
—
but
I
trust
you
will
be
able
to
come
down
this
morning
,
for
I
have
a
message
to
give
you
from
my
sister
.
Believe
me
,
Madame
,
of
all
your
servants
the
most
devoted
.
Paul
de
Virieu
.
They
met
in
the
garden
—
the
garden
which
they
had
so
often
had
to
themselves
during
their
short
happy
mornings
;
and
,
guided
by
an
instinctive
longing
for
solitude
,
and
for
being
out
of
sight
and
out
of
mind
of
those
about
them
,
they
made
their
way
towards
the
arch
in
the
wall
which
led
to
the
potager
.
It
was
just
ten
o'clock
,
and
the
gardeners
were
leaving
off
work
for
an
hour
;
they
had
earned
their
rest
,
for
their
work
begins
each
summer
day
at
sunrise
.
It
was
therefore
through
a
sweet-smelling
,
solitary
wilderness
that
Count
Paul
guided
his
companion
.
They
walked
along
the
narrow
paths
edged
with
fragrant
herbs
till
they
came
to
the
extreme
end
of
the
kitchen-garden
,
and
then
—
"
Shall
we
go
into
the
orangery
?
"
he
asked
abruptly
.
Sylvia
nodded
.
These
were
the
first
words
he
had
uttered
since
his
short
"
Good
morning
.
I
hope
,
Madame
,
you
are
feeling
better
?
"
He
stepped
aside
to
allow
her
to
go
first
into
the
large
,
finely-proportioned
building
,
which
was
so
charming
a
survival
of
eighteenth-century
taste
.
The
orangery
was
cool
,
fragrant
,
deserted
;
remote
indeed
from
all
that
Lacville
stands
for
in
this
ugly
,
utilitarian
world
.
"
Wo
n't
you
sit
down
?
"
he
said
slowly
.
And
then
,
as
if
echoing
his
companion
's
thoughts
,
"
It
seems
a
long
,
long
time
since
we
were
first
in
the
orangery
,
Madame
—
"
"
—
When
you
asked
me
so
earnestly
to
leave
Lacville
,
"
said
Sylvia
,
trying
to
speak
lightly
.
She
sat
down
on
the
circular
stone
seat
,
and
,
as
he
had
done
on
that
remembered
morning
when
they
were
still
strangers
,
he
took
his
place
at
the
other
end
of
it
.
"
Well
?
"
he
said
,
looking
at
her
fixedly
.
"
Well
,
you
see
I
came
back
after
all
!
"
Sylvia
made
no
answer
.
"
I
ought
not
to
have
done
so
.
It
was
weak
of
me
.
"
He
did
not
look
at
her
as
he
spoke
;
he
was
tracing
imaginary
patterns
on
the
stone
floor
.
"
I
came
back
,
"
he
concluded
,
in
a
low
,
bitter
tone
,
"
because
I
could
not
stay
any
longer
away
from
you
.
"
And
still
Sylvia
remained
silent
.
"
Do
you
not
believe
that
?
"
he
asked
,
rather
roughly
.
And
then
at
last
she
looked
up
and
spoke
.
"
I
think
you
imagine
that
to
be
the
case
,
"
she
said
,
"
but
I
am
sure
that
it
is
not
I
,
alone
,
who
brought
you
back
to
Lacville
.
"
"
And
yet
it
is
you
—
you
alone
!
"
he
exclaimed
and
he
jumped
up
and
came
and
stood
before
her
.
"
God
knows
I
do
not
wish
to
deceive
you
.
Perhaps
,
if
I
had
not
come
back
here
,
I
should
in
time
—
not
at
once
,
Madame
,
—
have
gone
somewhere
else
,
where
I
could
enjoy
the
only
thing
in
life
which
had
come
to
be
worth
while
living
for
.
But
it
was
you
—
you
alone
—
that
brought
me
back
here
,
to
Lacville
!
"
"
Why
did
you
go
straight
to
the
Casino
?
"
she
faltered
.
"
And
why
?
—
oh
,
why
did
you
risk
all
that
money
?
"
He
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
Because
I
am
a
fool
!
"
he
answered
,
bitterly
—
"
a
fool
,
and
what
the
English
rightly
call
'
a
dog
in
the
manger
!
'
I
ought
to
rejoice
when
I
see
you
with
that
excellent
fellow
,
Mr.
Chester
—
and
as
your
friend
,
"
he
stopped
short
and
then
ended
his
sentence
with
the
words
,
"
I
ought
to
be
happy
to
know
that
you
will
have
so
excellent
a
husband
!
"
Sylvia
also
got
up
.
"
You
are
quite
mistaken
,
"
she
said
,
coldly
.
"
I
shall
never
marry
Mr.
Chester
.
"
"
I
regret
to
hear
you
say
that
,
"
said
Count
Paul
,
seriously
.
"
A
woman
should
not
live
alone
,
especially
a
woman
who
is
young
and
beautiful
,
and
—
and
who
has
money
.
"
Sylvia
shook
her
head
.
She
was
angry
—
more
hurt
and
angry
than
she
had
ever
felt
before
in
her
life
.
She
told
herself
passionately
that
the
Comte
de
Virieu
was
refusing
that
which
had
not
been
offered
to
him
.
"
You
are
very
kind
,
"
she
answered
,
lightly
.
"
But
I
have
managed
very
well
up
to
now
,
and
I
think
I
shall
go
on
managing
very
well
.
You
need
not
trouble
yourself
about
the
matter
,
Count
Paul
.
Mr.
Chester
and
I
thoroughly
understand
one
another
—
"
She
waited
,
and
gently
she
added
,
"
I
wish
I
could
understand
you
—
"
"
I
wish
I
understood
myself
,
"
he
said
sombrely
.
"
But
there
is
one
thing
that
I
believe
myself
incapable
of
doing
.
Whatever
my
feeling
,
nay
,
whatever
my
love
,
for
a
woman
,
I
would
never
do
so
infamous
a
thing
as
to
try
and
persuade
her
to
join
her
life
to
mine
.
I
know
too
well
to
what
I
should
be
exposing
her
—
to
what
possible
misery
,
nay
,
to
what
probable
degradation
!
After
all
,
a
man
is
free
to
go
to
the
devil
alone
—
but
he
has
no
right
to
drag
a
woman
there
with
him
!
"
His
voice
had
sunk
to
a
hoarse
whisper
,
and
he
was
gazing
into
Sylvia
's
pale
face
with
an
anguished
look
of
questioning
and
of
pleading
pain
.
"
I
think
that
is
true
,
Count
Paul
.
"
Sylvia
heard
herself
uttering
gently
,
composedly
,
the
words
which
meant
at
once
so
much
and
so
little
to
them
both
.
"
It
is
a
pity
that
all
men
do
not
feel
about
this
as
you
do
,
"
she
concluded
mechanically
.
"
I
felt
sure
you
would
agree
with
me
,
"
he
answered
slowly
.
"
Ought
we
not
to
be
going
back
to
the
villa
?
I
am
expecting
Mr.
Chester
to
lunch
,
and
though
I
know
it
is
quite
early
,
he
has
got
into
the
way
,
these
last
few
days
,
of
coming
early
.
"
Her
words
stung
him
in
his
turn
.
"
Stop
!
"
he
said
roughly
.
"
Do
not
go
yet
,
Mrs.
Bailey
.
"
He
muttered
between
his
teeth
,
"
Mr.
Chester
's
turn
will
come
!
"
And
then
aloud
,
"
Is
this
to
be
the
end
of
everything
—
the
end
of
our
—
our
friendship
?
I
shall
leave
Lacville
to-night
for
I
do
not
care
to
stay
on
here
after
you
have
taunted
me
with
having
come
back
to
see
you
!
"
Sylvia
gave
a
little
cry
of
protest
.
"
How
unkind
you
are
,
Count
Paul
!
"
She
still
tried
to
speak
lightly
,
but
the
tears
were
now
rolling
down
her
cheeks
—
and
then
in
a
moment
she
found
herself
in
Paul
de
Virieu
's
arms
.
She
felt
his
heart
beating
against
her
breast
.
"
Oh
,
my
darling
!
"
he
whispered
brokenly
,
in
French
,
"
my
darling
,
how
I
love
you
!
"
"
But
if
you
love
me
,
"
she
said
piteously
,
"
what
does
anything
else
matter
?
"
Her
hand
had
sought
his
hand
.
He
grasped
it
for
a
moment
and
then
let
it
go
.
"
It
is
because
I
love
you
—
because
I
love
you
more
than
I
love
myself
that
I
give
you
up
,
"
he
said
,
but
,
being
human
,
he
did
not
give
her
up
there
and
then
.
Instead
,
he
drew
her
closer
to
him
,
and
his
lips
sought
and
found
her
sweet
,
tremulous
mouth
.
And
Chester
?
Chester
that
morning
for
the
first
time
in
his
well-balanced
life
felt
not
only
ill
but
horribly
depressed
.
He
had
come
back
to
the
Pension
Malfait
the
night
before
feeling
quite
well
,
and
as
cheerful
as
his
disapproval
of
Sylvia
Bailey
's
proceedings
at
the
Casino
allowed
him
to
be
.
And
while
thoroughly
disapproving
,
he
had
yet
—
such
being
human
nature
—
been
glad
that
Sylvia
had
won
and
not
lost
!
The
Wachners
had
offered
to
drive
him
back
to
his
pension
,
and
he
had
accepted
,
for
it
was
very
late
,
and
Madame
Wachner
,
in
spite
of
her
Fritz
's
losses
,
had
insisted
on
taking
a
carriage
home
.
And
then
,
though
he
had
begun
by
going
to
sleep
,
Chester
had
waked
at
the
end
of
an
hour
to
feel
himself
encompassed
,
environed
,
oppressed
by
the
perception
—
it
was
far
more
than
a
sensation
—
that
he
was
no
longer
alone
.
He
sat
up
in
bed
and
struck
a
match
,
at
once
longing
and
fearing
to
see
a
form
,
—
the
semblance
of
a
human
being
—
rise
out
of
the
darkness
.
But
all
he
saw
,
when
he
had
lighted
the
candle
which
stood
on
the
table
by
his
bed
,
was
the
barely
furnished
room
which
,
even
in
this
poor
and
wavering
light
,
had
so
cheerful
and
commonplace
an
appearance
.
Owing
no
doubt
to
his
excellent
physical
condition
,
as
well
as
to
his
good
conscience
,
Chester
was
a
fearless
man
.
A
week
ago
he
would
have
laughed
to
scorn
the
notion
that
the
dead
ever
revisit
the
earth
,
as
so
many
of
us
believe
they
do
,
but
the
four
nights
he
had
spent
at
the
Pension
Malfait
,
had
shaken
his
conviction
that
"
dead
men
rise
up
never
.
"
Most
reluctantly
he
had
come
to
the
conclusion
that
the
Pension
Malfait
was
haunted
.
And
the
feeling
of
unease
did
not
vanish
even
after
he
had
taken
his
bath
in
the
queer
bath-room
,
of
which
the
Malfaits
were
so
proud
,
or
later
,
when
he
had
eaten
the
excellent
breakfast
provided
for
him
.
On
the
contrary
,
the
thought
of
going
up
to
his
bed-room
,
even
in
broad
daylight
,
filled
him
with
a
kind
of
shrinking
fear
.
He
told
himself
angrily
that
this
kind
of
thing
could
not
go
on
.
The
sleepless
nights
made
him
ill
—
he
who
never
was
ill
;
also
he
was
losing
precious
days
of
his
short
holiday
,
while
doing
no
good
to
himself
and
no
good
to
Sylvia
.
Sending
for
the
hotel-keeper
,
he
curtly
told
him
that
he
meant
to
leave
Lacville
that
evening
.
M
.
Malfait
expressed
much
sorrow
and
regret
.
Was
M'sieur
not
comfortable
?
Was
there
anything
he
could
do
to
prolong
his
English
guest
's
stay
?
No
,
M'sieur
had
every
reason
to
be
satisfied
,
but
—
but
had
M
.
Malfait
ever
had
any
complaints
of
noises
in
the
bed-room
occupied
by
his
English
guest
?
The
Frenchman
's
surprise
and
discomfiture
seemed
quite
sincere
;
but
Chester
,
looking
into
his
face
,
suspected
that
the
wondering
protests
,
the
assertion
that
this
particular
bed-room
was
the
quietest
in
the
house
,
were
not
sincere
.
In
this
,
however
he
wronged
poor
M
.
Malfait
.
Chester
went
upstairs
and
packed
.
There
seemed
to
be
a
kind
of
finality
in
the
act
.
If
she
knew
he
was
ready
to
start
that
night
,
Sylvia
would
not
be
able
to
persuade
him
to
stay
on
,
as
she
probably
would
try
to
do
.
At
the
Villa
du
Lac
he
was
greeted
with
,
"
Madame
Bailey
is
in
the
garden
with
the
Comte
de
Virieu
"
—
and
he
thought
he
saw
a
twinkle
in
merry
little
M
.
Polperro
's
eyes
.
Poor
Sylvia
!
Poor
,
foolish
,
wilful
Sylvia
!
Was
it
conceivable
that
after
what
she
had
seen
the
night
before
she
still
liked
,
she
still
respected
,
that
mad
French
gambler
?
He
looked
over
the
wide
lawn
;
no
,
there
was
no
sign
of
Sylvia
and
the
Count
.
Then
,
all
at
once
,
coming
through
a
door
which
gave
access
,
as
he
knew
,
to
the
big
kitchen-garden
of
the
villa
,
he
saw
Mrs.
Bailey
's
graceful
figure
;
a
few
steps
behind
her
walked
Count
Paul
.
Chester
hurried
towards
them
.
How
odd
they
both
looked
—
and
how
ill
at
ease
!
The
Comte
de
Virieu
looked
wretched
,
preoccupied
,
and
gloomy
—
as
well
he
might
do
,
considering
the
large
sum
of
money
he
had
lost
last
night
.
As
for
Sylvia
—
yes
,
there
could
be
no
doubt
about
it
—
she
had
been
crying
!
When
she
saw
Chester
coming
towards
her
,
she
instinctively
tilted
her
garden
hat
over
her
face
to
hide
her
reddened
eyelids
.
He
felt
at
once
sorry
for
,
and
angry
with
,
her
.
"
I
came
early
in
order
to
tell
you
,
"
he
said
abruptly
,
"
that
I
find
I
must
leave
Lacville
to-day
!
The
man
whom
I
am
expecting
to
join
me
in
Switzerland
is
getting
impatient
,
so
I
've
given
notice
to
the
Pension
Malfait
—
in
fact
,
I
've
already
packed
.
"
Sylvia
gave
him
a
listless
glance
,
and
made
no
comment
on
his
news
.
Chester
felt
rather
nettled
.
"
You
,
I
suppose
,
will
be
staying
on
here
for
some
time
?
"
he
said
.
"
I
do
n't
know
,
"
she
answered
in
a
low
voice
.
"
I
have
n't
made
up
my
mind
how
long
I
shall
stay
here
.
"
"
I
also
am
leaving
Lacville
,
"
said
the
Comte
de
Virieu
.
And
then
,
as
he
saw
,
or
fancied
he
saw
,
a
satirical
expression
pass
over
the
Englishman
's
face
,
he
added
rather
haughtily
:
"
Strange
to
say
,
my
luck
turned
last
night
—
I
admit
I
did
not
deserve
it
—
and
I
left
off
with
a
good
deal
to
the
good
.
However
,
I
feel
I
have
played
enough
for
a
while
,
and
,
as
I
have
been
telling
Mrs.
Bailey
,
I
think
it
would
do
me
good
to
go
away
.
In
fact
"
—
and
then
Count
Paul
gave
an
odd
little
laugh
—
"
I
also
am
going
to
Switzerland
!
In
old
days
I
was
a
member
of
our
Alpine
Club
.
"
Chester
made
a
sudden
resolve
,
and
,
what
was
rare
in
one
so
constitutionally
prudent
,
acted
on
it
at
once
.
"
If
you
are
really
going
to
Switzerland
,
"
he
said
quietly
,
"
then
why
should
we
not
travel
together
?
I
meant
to
go
to-night
,
but
if
you
prefer
to
wait
till
to-morrow
,
Count
,
I
can
alter
my
arrangements
.
"
The
Comte
de
Virieu
remained
silent
for
what
seemed
to
the
two
waiting
for
his
answer
a
very
long
time
.
"
This
evening
will
suit
me
just
as
well
as
to-morrow
,
"
he
said
at
last
.
He
did
not
look
at
Sylvia
.
He
had
not
looked
her
way
since
Chester
had
joined
them
.
With
a
hand
that
shook
a
little
he
took
his
cigarette-case
out
of
his
pocket
,
and
held
it
out
to
the
other
man
.
The
die
was
cast
.
So
be
it
.
Chester
,
prig
though
he
might
be
,
was
right
in
his
wish
to
remove
Sylvia
from
his
,
Paul
de
Virieu
's
,
company
.
The
Englishman
was
more
right
than
he
would
ever
know
.
How
amazed
Chester
would
have
been
had
he
been
able
to
see
straight
into
Paul
de
Virieu
's
heart
!
Had
he
divined
the
other
's
almost
unendurable
temptation
to
take
Sylvia
Bailey
at
her
word
,
to
impose
on
her
pathetic
ignorance
of
life
,
to
allow
her
to
become
a
gambler
's
wife
.
Had
the
woman
he
loved
been
penniless
,
the
Comte
de
Virieu
would
probably
have
yielded
to
the
temptation
which
now
came
in
the
subtle
garb
of
jealousy
—
keen
,
poisoned-fanged
jealousy
of
this
fine
looking
young
Englishman
who
stood
before
them
both
.
Would
Sylvia
ever
cling
to
this
man
as
she
had
clung
to
him
—
would
she
ever
allow
Chester
to
kiss
her
as
she
had
allowed
Paul
to
kiss
her
,
and
that
after
he
had
released
the
hand
she
had
laid
in
his
?
But
alas
!
there
are
kisses
and
kisses
—
clingings
and
clingings
.
Chester
,
so
the
Frenchman
with
his
wide
disillusioned
knowledge
of
life
felt
only
too
sure
,
would
win
Sylvia
in
time
.
"
Shall
we
go
in
and
find
out
the
time
of
the
Swiss
express
?
"
he
asked
the
other
man
,
"
or
perhaps
you
have
already
decided
on
a
train
?
"
"
No
,
I
have
n't
looked
one
out
yet
.
"
They
strolled
off
together
towards
the
house
,
and
Sylvia
walked
blindly
on
to
the
grass
and
sat
down
on
one
of
the
rocking-chairs
of
which
M
.
Polperro
was
so
proud
.
She
looked
after
the
two
men
with
a
sense
of
oppressed
bewilderment
.
Then
they
were
both
going
away
—
both
going
to
leave
her
?
After
to-day
—
how
strange
,
how
utterly
unnatural
the
parting
seemed
—
she
would
probably
never
see
Paul
de
Virieu
again
.
The
day
went
like
a
dream
—
a
fantastic
,
unreal
dream
.
Sylvia
did
not
see
Count
Paul
again
alone
.
She
and
Chester
went
a
drive
in
the
afternoon
—
the
expedition
had
been
arranged
the
day
before
with
the
Wachners
,
and
there
seemed
no
valid
reason
why
it
should
be
put
off
.
And
then
Madame
Wachner
with
her
usual
