"Yes," said Madame Wachner, glancing at her, "yes, we had the grass cut a few days ago. Fritz insisted on it." "If it had been as high as it was the first time I came here, I could never have made my way through it to the delightful little wood that lies over there, behind the chalet," went on Sylvia. "I don't think I told you that I went over there yesterday and waited a while, hoping that you would come back." "You went into the wood!" echoed Madame Wachner in a startled tone. "You should not have done that," she shook her head gravely. "We are forbidden to go into the wood. We 'ave never gone into the wood." L'Ami Fritz stood waiting for his visitors in the narrow doorway. He looked more good-tempered than usual, and as they walked in he chatted pleasantly to Chester. "This way," he said, importantly. "Do not trouble to go into the salon, Madame! We shall have tea here, of course." And Sylvia Bailey was amused, as well as rather touched, to see the preparations which had been made in the little dining-room for the entertainment of Bill Chester and of herself. In the middle of the round table which had looked so bare yesterday was a bowl of white roses--roses that had never grown in the untidy garden outside. Two dessert dishes were heaped up with delicious cakes--the cakes for which French pastrycooks are justly famed. There was also a basin full of the Alpine strawberries which Sylvia loved, and of which she always ordered a goodly supply at the Villa du Lac. Madame Wachner had even remembered to provide the thick cream, which, to a foreign taste, spoils the delicate flavour of strawberries. They were really very kind people, these Wachners! Looking round the funny little dining-room, Sylvia could not help remembering how uncomfortable she had felt when sitting there alone the day before. It was hard now to believe that she should have had that queer, eerie feeling of discomfort and disquietude in such a commonplace, cheerful room. She told herself that there probably had been some little creature hidden there--some shy, wild thing, which maybe had crept in out of the wood. "And now I will go and make the tea," said Madame Wachner pleasantly, and Sylvia gaily insisted on accompanying her hostess into the kitchen. "We shall 'ave a nicer tea than that first time we made tea 'ere together," said Madame Wachner jovially. The young Englishwoman shook her head, smiling. "I had a very good time that afternoon!" she cried. "And I shall always feel grateful for your kindness to me and to poor Anna, Madame Wachner. I do so often wonder what Anna is doing with herself, and where she is staying in Paris." She looked wistfully at her companion. Madame Wachner was in the act of pouring the boiling water into her china teapot.