n to where one was living
oneself!

CHAPTER XIX

William Chester, solicitor, and respected citizen of Market Dalling, felt
rather taken aback and bewildered as he joined the great stream of people
who were pouring out of the large suburban station of Lacville.

He had only arrived in Paris two hours before, and after a hasty dinner
at the Gare du Nord he had made inquiries as to his best way of reaching
Lacville. And then he was told, to his surprise, that from the very
station in which he found himself trains started every few minutes to
the spot for which he was bound.

"To-night," added the man of whom he had inquired, "there is a fine fete
at Lacville, including fireworks on the lake!"

Chester had imagined Sylvia to be staying in a quiet village or little
country town. That was the impression her brief letters to him had
conveyed, and he was astonished to hear that Lacville maintained so large
and constant a train service.

Sylvia had written that she would engage a room for him at the
boarding-house where she was staying; and Chester, who was very tired
after his long, hot journey, looked forward to a pleasant little chat
with her, followed by a good night's rest.

It was nine o'clock when he got into the Lacville train, and again he
was vaguely surprised to see what a large number of people were bound for
the place. It was clear that something special must be going on there
to-night, and that "the fireworks on the lake" must be on a very splendid
scale.

When he arrived at Lacville, he joined the great throng of people, who
were laughing and talking, each and all in holiday mood, and hailed an
open carriage outside the station. "To the Villa du Lac!" he cried.

The cab could only move slowly through the crowd of walkers, and when
it finally emerged out of the narrow streets of the town it stopped a
moment, as if the driver wished his English fare to gaze at the beautiful
panorama spread out before his eyes.

Dotted over the lake, large and mysterious in the starlit night, floated
innumerable tiny crafts, each gaily hung with a string of coloured
lanterns. Now and again a red and blue rocket streamed up with a hiss,
dissolving in a shower of stars reflected in the still water.

Down to the right a huge building, with towers and minarets flung up
against the sky, was outlined in twinkling lights.

The cab moved on, only for a few yards however, and then drove quickly
through high gates, and s