han doing nothing.

* * * * *

And now Sylvia, sitting idly by her bed-room window, was awaiting Anna's
answer to her note. She had sent it, just before she went down to
luncheon, by a commissionaire, to the Pension Malfait, and the answer
ought to have come ere now.

After their drive she and Anna might call on the Wachners and offer to
take them to the Casino; and with the thought of the Wachners there came
over Sylvia a regret that the Comte de Virieu was so fastidious. He
seemed to detest the Wachners! When he met them at the Casino, the most
he would do was to incline his head coldly towards them. Who could wonder
that Madame Wachner spoke so disagreeably of him?

Sylvia Bailey's nature was very loyal, and now she reminded herself that
this couple, for whom Count Paul seemed to have an instinctive dislike,
were good-natured and kindly. She must ever remember gratefully how
helpful Madame Wachner had been during the first few days she and Anna
had been at Lacville, in showing them the little ways about the place,
and in explaining to them all sorts of things about the Casino.

And how kindly the Wachners had pressed Anna yesterday to have supper
with them during Sylvia's absence in Paris!

* * * * *

There came a knock at the door, and Sylvia jumped up from her chair. No
doubt this was Anna herself in response to the note.

"Come in," she cried out, in English.

There was a pause, and another knock. Then it was not Anna?

"_Entrez!_"

The commissionaire by whom Sylvia had sent her note to Madame Wolsky
walked into the room. To her great surprise he handed her back her own
letter to her friend. The envelope had been opened, and together with her
letter was a sheet of common notepaper, across which was scrawled, in
pencil, the words, "_Madame Wolsky est partie_."

Sylvia looked up. "_Partie?_" The word puzzled her. Surely it should have
been "_Sortie._" Perhaps Anna had gone to Paris for the day to bank her
large winnings. "Then the lady was out?" she said to the man.

"The lady has left the Pension Malfait," he said, briefly. "She has gone
away."

"There must be some mistake!" Sylvia exclaimed, in French. "My friend
would never have left Lacville without telling me."

The commissionaire went on: "But I have brought back a motor-cab as
Madame directed me to do."

She paid him, and went downstairs hurriedly. What an extraordinary
mistake!