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Updated: June 16, 2025
But no, in spite of the now-risen sun, it was still early morning; the Pension Malfait was sunk in sleep. Chester went back to bed. He felt tired, disturbed, uneasy; sleep was out of the question; so he lay back, and with widely-open eyes, began to think of Sylvia Bailey and of the strange events of the night before. He lived again the long hour he had spent at the Casino.
Sylvia was trying hard to forget Count Paul and his broken promise, and to be her natural self. As they emerged into the better-lighted thoroughfare, where stood a row of carriages, she said, "I will drive with you to the Pension Malfait, Bill." Madame Wachner officiously struck in, "Do not think of driving your friend to the Pension Malfait, dear friend! We will gladly leave Mr. Chester there.
"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!
The broad, low bed, pushed back into an alcove as is the French fashion, looked delightfully cool and inviting by the light of his one candle. When M. Malfait had shown him into the room the window was wide open to the hot, starless night, but the landlord, though he had left the window open, had drawn the thick curtains across it.
You see, she left enough money to pay for everything, as well as to provide my servants with handsome gratuities. That is more than the last person who left the Pension Malfait in a hurry troubled to do!" "But is it not extraordinary that she left her luggage, and that she did not even tell you where she was going?" repeated Sylvia in a worried, dissatisfied tone.
She did not go back through the Wachners' garden; instead, she struck off to the left, on to a field path, which finally brought her to the main road. As she was passing the Pension Malfait the landlady came out to the gate. "Madame!" she cried out loudly, "I have had news of Madame Wolsky at last!
It was out of the question that Anna should have left Lacville without telling her; but as the motor was there she might as well drive to the Pension Malfait and find out the meaning of the curt message, and also why her own letter to Anna had been opened. If Anna had gone into Paris for the day, the only thing to do was to go for a drive alone.
The whole time he was there and he stayed on at Lacville, as we shall see, rather longer than he at first intended Chester never felt, when in his room at the Pension Malfait really alone, and sometimes the impression became almost intolerably vivid. But the longest night, the most haunted night, and Chester's night had indeed been haunted, comes to an end at last.
And now Sylvia, sitting idly by her bed-room window, was awaiting Anna's answer to her note. She had sent it, just before she went down to luncheon, by a commissionaire, to the Pension Malfait, and the answer ought to have come ere now.
How fortunate that Sylvia had come across such a nice, simple, kindly woman in such a queer place as Lacville! But Madame Wachner's good-natured proposal had never to be seriously considered, for when her vigorous hand found and pulled the bell there came sounds in the courtyard beyond, and a moment later the door swung open. "Who's there?" cried M. Malfait in a loud voice.
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