d an hour ago! Madame Bailey was so
terribly disappointed not to see M'sieur at dinner! A very nice special
dinner was prepared, cooked by myself, in honour of Madame Bailey's
little party."

And he went on to tell Chester, who was getting bewildered with the
quick, eager talk, that this special dinner had been served at eight
o'clock, and that Madame Bailey had entertained two friends that evening.

"You say that Mrs. Bailey is at the Casino?"

"_Mais oui, M'sieur!_"

It had never occurred to Chester that there would be a Casino in the
place where Sylvia was spending the summer. But then everything at
Lacville, including the Villa du Lac, was utterly unlike what the English
lawyer had expected it to be.

M. Polperro spread out his hands with an eloquent gesture. "I beg of
M'sieur," he said, "to allow me to conduct him to the Casino! Madame
Bailey will not be here for some time, not perhaps for one hour, perhaps
for two hours. I will have the luggage sent on to the Pension Malfait."

Strange--very strange! At home in Market Dalling Sylvia had always been
fond of going to bed quite early; yet now, according to the hotel-keeper,
she was perhaps going to stay out till one o'clock--till one o'clock on
Sunday morning!

M. Polperro led Chester into the stately, long drawing-room; but in a
very few moments he reappeared, having taken off his white apron and his
chef's cap, and put on a light grey alpaca coat and a soft hat.

As they hurried along the path which skirts the lake, Chester began to
feel the charm of the place. It was very gay and delightful--"very
French," so the English lawyer told himself. The lake, too, looked
beautiful--mysteriously beautiful and fairy-like, in the moonlight.

Soon they turned into a narrow dark lane.

"This is not a grand entrance to our beautiful Casino," said M. Polperro,
ruefully, "but no matter, it is lovely once you get inside!" and he
chuckled happily.

When in front of the great glass doors, he touched Chester on the arm.

"I wonder whether M'sieur would care to become a member of the Club," he
said in a low voice. "I do not press M'sieur to do so! But you see, both
Madame Bailey and her friends are members of the Club, and it is almost
certain that it is there we shall find them. I fear it is no use our
going to the Playing Rooms downstairs."

The Playing Rooms? Sylvia a member of a club? And--for Chester's quick,
legal mind had leapt on the fact--of a gambling club?