at white building,
which Sylvia realised must be the Casino. And under each picture ran the
words "Lacville-les-Bains" printed in very black letters.

When she got to the Gare du Nord the same advertisement stared down at
her from the walls of the station and of the waiting-rooms.

It was certainly odd that she had never heard of Lacville, and that the
place had never been mentioned to her by any of those of her English
acquaintances who thought they knew Paris so well.

The Lacville train was full of happy, chattering people. In her
first-class carriage she had five fellow-travellers--a man and woman
and three children. They looked cheerful, prosperous people, and soon
the husband and wife began talking eagerly together.

"I really think," said the lady suddenly, "that we might have chosen some
other place than Lacville in which to spend to-day! There are many places
the children would have enjoyed more."

"But there is no place," said her husband in a jovial tone, "where I can
spend an amusing hour in the afternoon."

"Ah, my friend, I feared that was coming!" exclaimed his wife,
shaking her head. "But remember what happened the last time we were
at Lacville--I mean the afternoon when you lost seventy francs!"

"But you forget that other afternoon!" answered the man eagerly. "I
mean the afternoon when I made a hundred francs, and bought you and
the children a number of delightful little gifts with the money!"

Sylvia was amused. How quaint and odd French people were! She could
not imagine such an interchange of words between an English husband and
wife, especially before a stranger. And then her amusement was further
increased, for the youngest child, a boy of about six, cried out that he
also wished to go to the Casino with his dear papa.

"No, no, my sweet cabbage, that will happen quite soon enough, when thou
art older! If thou art in the least like thy father, there will certainly
come a time when thou also wilt go and lose well-earned money at the
Tables," said his mother tenderly.

"But if I win, then I shall buy thee a present," said the sweet cabbage
coaxingly.

Sylvia looked out of the window. These happy, chattering people made her
feel lonely, and even a little depressed.

The country through which the train was passing was very flat and
ugly--in fact, it could scarcely be called country at all. And when at
last they drew up into the large station of what was once a quiet, remote
village where