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"
"So I am," said Sylvia gaily, "opulent and very, very happy, dear Anna!
I am so glad that you brought me here, and first made me acquainted with
this delightful place! I am sure Switzerland would not have been half as
amusing as Lacville--"
* * * * *
The public gambling room was much quieter and emptier than it had been
on the Saturday when Sylvia had first seen it. But all the people playing
there, both those sitting at the table and those who stood in serried
ranks behind them, looked as if they were engaged on some serious
undertaking.
They did not appear, as the casual holiday crowd had done, free from
care. There was comparatively little talking among them, and each round
of the monotonous game was got through far quicker than had been the case
the week before. Money was risked, lost, or gained, with extraordinary
swiftness and precision.
A good many of the people there, women as well as men, glanced idly for
a moment at the two newcomers, but they soon looked away again, intent on
their play.
Sylvia felt keenly interested.


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