At The Villa Rose

It was now nearly eight o'clock; the rain still held off.

"We must go," said Mme. Dauvray, who for the last half-hour had

been continually looking at her watch.

They drove to the station and took the train. Once more the rain

came down, but it had stopped again before the train steamed into

Aix at nine o'clock.

"We will take a cab," said Mme. Dauvray: "it will save time."

"It will do us good to walk, madame," pleaded Adele. The train was

full. Adele passed quickly out from the lights of the station in the

throng of passengers and waited in the dark square for the others

to join her. "It is barely nine. A friend has promised to call at the Villa

Rose for me after eleven and drive me back in a motor-car to Geneva,

so we have plenty of time."

They walked accordingly up the hill, Mme. Dauvray slowly, since

she was stout, and Celia keeping pace with her. Thus it seemed

natural that Adele Tace should walk ahead, though a passer-by

would not have thought she was of their company. At the corner of

the Rue du Casino Adele waited for them and said quickly: "Mademoiselle, you can get some cord, I think, at the shop there,"

and she pointed to the shop of M. Corval. "Madame and I will go

slowly on; you, who are the youngest, will easily catch us up."

Celia went into the shop, bought the cord, and caught Mme. Dauvray

up before she reached the villa.

"Where is Mme. Rossignol?" she asked.

"She went on," said Camille Dauvray. "She walks faster than I do."

They passed no one whom they knew, although they did pass one who

recognised them, as Perrichet had discovered. They came upon

Adele, waiting for them at the corner of the road, where it turns

down toward the villa.

"It is near here--the Villa Rose?" she asked.

"A minute more and we are there."

They turned in at the drive, closed the gate behind them, and

walked up to the villa.

The windows and the glass doors were closed, the latticed shutters

fastened. A light burned in the hall.

"Helene is expecting us," said Mme. Dauvray, for as they

approached she saw the front door open to admit them, and Helene

Vauquier in the doorway. The three women went straight into the

little salon, which was ready with the lights up and a small fire

burning. Celia noticed the fire with a trifle of dismay. She moved

a fire-screen in front of it.

"I can understand why you do that, mademoiselle," said Adele

Rossignol, with a satirical smile. But Mme. Dauvray came to the

girl's help.

"She is right, Adele. Light is the great barrier between us and

the spirit-world," she said solemnly.