"
"How odd of her! Perhaps she got a telegram which contained bad news--"
"Yes," said Madame Wachner eagerly, "no doubt. For this morning when I go
to the Pension Malfait, I 'ear that she 'as gone away! It was for that I
was 'urrying to the Villa du Lac to see if you knew anything, dear
friend."
"Gone away?" repeated Sylvia, bewildered. "But it is inconceivable that
Anna could have left Lacville without telling me--or, for the matter of
that, without telling you, too--"
"She 'as taken what you in England call 'French leave,'" said Madame
Wachner drily. "It was not very considerate of 'er. She might 'ave sent
us word last night. We would not then 'ave waited to 'ave our nice
supper."
"She can't have gone away without telling me," repeated Sylvia. She was
staring straight into her companion's red face: Madame Wachner still
looked very hot and breathless. "I am sure she would never have done such
a thing. Why should she?"
The older woman shrugged her shoulders.
"I expect she will come back soon," she said consolingly. "She 'as left
her luggage at the Pension Malfait, and that, after all, does not look as
if she 'as gone for evare!"
"Left her luggage?" cried Sylvia, in a relieved tone.
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