take back to England with you--"

"--Or to spend in Switzerland!" said Chester, laughing. "It is to
Switzerland I am going, Madame! I shall leave here the day after
to-morrow."

"And will you not come back again?" asked Madame Wachner inquisitively.

"I may come back again if Mrs. Bailey is still here; but I do not suppose
she will be, for I intend to spend at least a fortnight in Switzerland."

The three were now approaching the gates of the Villa du Lac.

"Well, Sylvia," cried Chester. "I suppose I must now say good-night? I do
not envy you your ill-gotten gains!" He spoke lightly, but there was an
undercurrent of reproach in his voice, or so Sylvia fancied.

"Good-night!" she said, and her voice was tremulous.

As she held out her hand the little fancy bag which held all her
winnings, the bundle of notes and loose pieces of gold, fell to the
ground.

Madame Wachner stooped down and picked it up. "How 'eavy it is!" she
exclaimed, enviously. "Good gracious, Sylvia! What a lot you must 'ave
made to-night?"

"And the notes don't weigh much," said Sylvia. "It's only the gold that
is heavy!"

But she was not thinking of what she was saying. Her heart was full of
anguish. How could Paul de Virieu have been so mad as to risk such an
immense sum, a tenth part of the fortune--for fortune it was--which had
just been left to him?

Sylvia hated herself for having contributed to his losses. 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.

"Oh no, Monsieur, I must go hack to the Casino and look after Fritz!
'E is a child--quite a child as regards money." Madame Wachner sighed
heavily. "No, no, you go 'ome to bed in the Pension Malfait."

"I shouldn't think of doing such a thing!" he said kindly. "I will come
back with you to the Casino, and together we will persuade Monsieur
Wachner to go home. He has had time to make or lose a good deal of money
in the last few minutes."

"Yes, indeed he 'as--" again Madame Wachner sighed, and Chester's heart
went out to her. She was a really nice old woman--clever and intelligent,
as well as cheerful and brave. It seemed a great pi