"Still it is a pretty place, Lacville, and cheaper than one would think."
She leant across the table, and continued in a confidential undertone:
"As for us--my husband and I--we have taken a small villa; he has grown
so tired of hotels."
"But surely you had a villa at Aix?" said Anna, in a surprised tone.
"Yes, we had a villa there, certainly. But then a very sad affair
happened to us--" she sighed. "You may have heard of it?" and she fixed
her small, intensely bright eyes inquiringly on Anna.
Anna bent her head.
"Yes, I heard all about it" she said gravely. "You mean about your friend
who was drowned in the lake? It must have been a very distressing thing
for you and your husband."
"Yes, indeed! He never can bear to speak of it."
And Sylvia, looking over at the man sitting just opposite to herself, saw
a look of unease come over his sallow face. He was eating his omelette
steadily, looking neither to the right nor to the left.
"Ami Fritz!" cried his wife, turning suddenly to him, and this time she
spoke English, "Say, 'How d'you do,' to this lady! You will remember that
we used to see 'er at Aix, in the Casino there?"
"Ami Fritz" bowed his head, but remained silent.
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