"Thenk you, my lady," repeated the policeman coldly, and turned to Miss
Ford.

"Could you identify the cherecter 'oo came into your committee room last
Seturday?" he asked of her.

"No," she replied.

"Couldn't you say whether it seemed like a male or a female in disguise?
Couldn't you mention any physical pecooliarity that struck you?"

"No," said Miss Ford.

"'Ave you no memory of last Seturday night?"

"No," said Miss Ford.

"I have," said the witch.

The policeman bridled. "I was addressing this 'ere lady, Miss M.M. Ford.
Can you at least tell me, meddem, 'ow long you and the 'Iggins family
'ave been acquainted?"

"No," said Miss Ford.

"Eighteen years," said Lady Arabel.

The fumes from the fireplace were very strong indeed, but nobody called
attention to them.

"I'm sorry, ..." said Miss Ford presently, very slowly, "that ... I ...
can't help you. I have ... been having ... nerve-storms ... since ...
last ... Saturday...."

The policeman fixed his ominous gaze upon her for quite a minute before
he wrote something in his notebook.

"Is Private Richard 'Iggins in town to-night?" he asked of Lady Arabel
in a casual voice.

"I suppose so," she replied. "But he has such a dretful habit of
disappearing...."

The policeman turned to the Mayor.

"Now, sir," he said. "Could you help me at all in----"

"Look here," said the witch, rising. "If you would only come along to my
house in Mitten Island I can truly give you all the information you
need. In fact, won't you come to supper with me? If some one will kindly
lend me half-a-crown I will go on ahead and cook something."

Mr. Tovey mechanically produced a coin.

"Here, Harold," called the witch, and holding Harold's collar she
stepped out on to the balcony, mounted, and flew away.

She left a room full of noise behind her.

The policeman, who was intoxicated with the strange fumes, said: "Hell.
Hell. Hell."

Lady Arabel called in vain: "Angela, Angela, don't be so dretfully
rash."

Mr. Tovey, now afflicted with a lock of hair in each eye, seized the
policeman by the shoulder thinking to prevent him from jumping out of
the window. "You fool," he shouted.

The Mayor slapped his thigh with a loud report. "Lawdy," he yelled.
"She's a sport. She will 'ave 'er joke."

Miss MacBee laughed hysterically and very loudly.

Mr. Darnby Frere said "My word" rather cautiously several times, and
rubbed the bridge of his nose. He rather thought ever