Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 19, 2025
"Why, there's Madame Wachner," said Sylvia suddenly, and Chester thought there was a little touch of relief in her voice. "Madame Wachner?" And then the Englishman, gazing at the stout, squat figure which was waddling along the grass towards them, remembered.
"Oh! no," she said, "that is for sale!" "You must find it very lonely here at night," said Sylvia, musingly, "you do not seem to have any neighbours either to the right or left." "There is a villa a little way down the road," said Madame Wachner quickly. "But we are not nervous people and then we 'ave nothing it would be worth anybody's while to steal."
"May I go and take off my hat?" asked Sylvia; she left the room before Madame Wachner could answer her, and hurried down the short, dark passage. The door of the moonlit kitchen was ajar, and to her surprise she saw that a large trunk, corded and even labelled, stood in the middle of the floor. Close to the trunk was a large piece of sacking and by it another coil of thick rope.
That young man has a share in the profit on every piece of sugar sold in France, and you know how fond the French are of sweet things!" She turned from the table, followed by Sylvia and Madame Wachner. "What will you do with all your money?" asked Madame Wachner anxiously. "I told one of the ushers to have it all turned into notes for me," she answered indifferently.
She knew that it was absurd that she should feel this, for the same cards would certainly have been dealt to whoever had happened to take them from the croupier. But still, superstition is part of the virus which fills the gambler's blood, and she had certainly won a considerable part of the money Count Paul had lost to-night. "May I see you back to your house?" asked Chester of Madame Wachner.
When Sylvia had been looking for the butter, she had not been able to help seeing that in the tiny larder there was only a small piece of cheese, a little cold meat, and a couple of eggs on a plate. No wonder Monsieur Wachner had heartily enjoyed the copious, if rather roughly-prepared, meal at the Pension Malfait. "Yes, the carriage is there," said Madame Wachner bustling back.
We were devoted to this young Russian friend of ours. He and Fritz worked an excellent system together the best Fritz ever invented and for a little while they made money. But his terribly sad death broke our luck" she shook her head ominously. "How did it happen?" said Sylvia sympathetically. And then Madame Wachner once again broke into her h-less English.
The woman spoke quickly, her eyes fixed expectantly on the lady sitting before her. Mrs. Bailey suddenly realised, or thought she realised, what that look meant. She took her purse out of her pocket and held out a two-franc piece. "Certainly," she answered coldly, "I will explain to Madame Wachner that I insisted on coming in to rest."
Chester came to the door of the dining-room. M. Wachner had detained him for a moment in the hall, talking volubly, explaining how pleasant had been their little supper party till Mrs. Bailey had suddenly felt faint. Chester looked anxiously at Sylvia. She was oddly pale, all the colour drained from her face, but she seemed on quite good terms with Madame Wachner!
Her husband strode forward in gloomy silence, probably thinking over the money he might have made or lost had he played that evening, instead of only noting down the turns of the game. Madame Wachner babbled on, making conversation for Chester. She was trying to find out something more about this quiet Englishman. Why had he come to Lacville? How long was he going to stay here?
Word Of The Day
Others Looking