an be placed on a chair in that recess
and the curtains drawn, whilst we--madame and madame's friend and
I--can sit round this table under the side windows."

"Yes," said Celia, "that will do very well."

It was Madame Dauvray's habit when she was particularly pleased with
Celia to dismiss her maid quickly, and to send her to brush the girl's
hair at night; and in a little while on this night Helene went to
Celia's room. While she brushed Celia's hair she told her that
Servettaz's parents lived at Chambery, and that he would like to see
them.

"But the poor man is afraid to ask for a day," she said. "He has been
so short a time with madame."

"Of course madame will give him a holiday if he asks," replied Celia
with a smile. "I will speak to her myself to-morrow."

"It would be kind of mademoiselle," said Helene Vauquier. "But
perhaps--" She stopped.

"Well," said Celia.

"Perhaps mademoiselle would do better still to speak to Servattaz
himself and encourage him to ask with his own lips. Madame has her
moods, is it not so? She does not always like it to be forgotten that
she is the mistress."

On the next day accordingly Celia did speak to Servettaz, and Servettaz
asked for his holiday.

"But of course," Mme. Dauvray at once replied. "We must decide upon a
day."

It was then that Helene Vauquier ventured humbly upon a suggestion.

"Since madame has a friend coming here on Tuesday, perhaps that would
be the best day for him to go. Madame would not be likely to take a
long drive that afternoon."

"No, indeed," replied Mme. Dauvray. "We shall all three dine together
early in Aix and return here."

"Then I will tell him he may go to-morrow," said Celia.

For this conversation took place on the Monday, and in the evening Mme.
Dauvray and Celia went as usual to the Villa des Fleurs and dined there.

"I was in a bad mind," said Celia, when asked by the Juge d'Instruction
to explain that attack of nerves in the garden which Ricardo had
witnessed. "I hated more and more the thought of the seance which was
to take place on the morrow. I felt that I was disloyal to Harry. My
nerves were all tingling. I was not nice that night at all," she added
quaintly. "But at dinner I determined that if I met Harry after dinner,
as I was sure to do, I would tell him the whole truth about myself.
However, when I did meet him I was frightened. I knew how stern he
could suddenly look. I dreaded what he would think. I was too afr