lways a little mysterious,
was she not? Did she ever talk to you of her family, of her friends?" She
looked inquisitively at her companion.

"Yes--no," said Sylvia, hesitating. "I do not think poor Anna has many
relations. You see, she is a widow. I believe her father and mother are
dead."

"Ah, that is very sad! Then you do not know of anyone to write to about
her?"

"I?" said Sylvia. "No, of course I don't know of anyone to write to. How
could I? I haven't known her very long, you know, Madame Wachner. But we
became friends almost at once."

The motor was still stationary. The driver turned round for orders.
Sylvia roused herself.

"Can I drive you back to the Chalet des Muguets?" she asked. "Somehow I
don't feel inclined to take a drive in the forest now."

"If you do not mind," said Madame Wachner, "I should prefer to be driven
to the station, for l'Ami Fritz had to go to Paris." She laughed
ruefully. "To fetch money, as usual! His system did not work at all
well yesterday--poor Fritz!"

"How horrid!" said Sylvia. "It must be very disappointing to your husband
when his system goes wrong."

"Yes, very," answered the wife drily. "But when one system fails--well,
then he at once sets himself to inventing another! I lose a great deal
more in the lower room playing with francs than Fritz does at baccarat
playing with gold. You see, a system has this good about it--the player
generally comes out even at the end of each month."

"Does he, indeed?"

But Sylvia was not attending to what the other was saying. She was still
absorbed in the thought of her friend, and of the mystery of her friend's
sudden departure from Lacville.

When at last they reached the station, Madame Wachner turned and grasped
Sylvia by the hand.

"We must not let you become low-spirited!" she exclaimed. "It is a great
pity your kind friend has gone away. But doubtless you will soon be going
away, too?"

And, as Sylvia made no answer, "Perhaps it would be well not to say too
much concerning Madame Wolsky having left like this. She might come back
any moment, and then she would not like it if there had been a fuss made
about it! If I were you I would tell nobody--I repeat emphatically
_nobody_."

Madame Wachner stared significantly at Sylvia. "You do not know what the
police of Lacville are like, my dear friend. They are very unpleasant
people. As you were Anna's only friend in the place, they might give you
considerable trouble. They