Anna was unwilling to accept the kindly invitation. It was clear that she
did not wish to waste as much time away from the Casino as going to the
Wachners' villa would involve. But, seeing that Sylvia was eager to go,
she gave way.
Now on this particular afternoon Sylvia was feeling rather dull, and, as
she expressed it to herself, "down on her luck," for the Comte de Virieu
had gone into Paris for a few hours.
His sister, the Duchesse d'Eglemont, had come up from the country for
a few days, and the great pleasure and delight he had expressed at the
thought of seeing her had given the young English widow a little pang of
pain. It made her feel how little she counted in his life after all.
And so, for the second time, Sylvia visited the odd, fantastic-looking
Chalet des Muguets, and under very pleasant auspices.
This evening the bare dining-room she had thought so ugly wore an air of
festivity. There were flowers on the round table and on the buffet, but,
to her surprise, a piece of oilcloth now hid the parquet floor. This
puzzled Sylvia, as such trifling little matters of fact often puzzle
a fresh young mind.
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