And then, with a shock of surprise which sent the blood to his cheeks,
Chester suddenly saw that Sylvia Bailey was sitting nearly opposite to
where he himself was standing.
There are certain scenes, certain human groupings of individuals, which
remain fixed for ever against the screen of memory. Bill Chester will
never forget the sight which was presented to him in the Lacville Casino
by the particular group on which his tired eyes became focussed with
growing amazement and attention.
Sylvia was sitting at the baccarat table next to the man who was acting
as Banker. She was evidently absorbed in the fortunes of the game, and
she followed the slow falling of the fateful cards with rather feverish
intentness.
Her small gloved hands rested on the table, one of them loosely holding a
tiny ivory rake; and on a bank-note spread open on the green cloth before
her were two neat piles of gold, the one composed of twenty-franc, the
other of ten-franc pieces.
Chester, with a strange feeling of fear and anger clutching at his heart,
told himself that he had never seen Sylvia look as she looked to-night.
Pages:
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298