re 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 Chalet 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 chalet," went on Sylvia. "I don'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, impo