"Leonard!" she screamed shrilly to her nephew, "turn it back into Mrs.
Hampton at once! It may fly at us at any moment. Turn it back!"

"I--I don't know how to," faltered Leonard, who looked more scared and
horrified than anyone.

"What!" shouted Colonel Hampton, "you've taken the abominable liberty of
turning my wife into a wolf, and now you stand there calmly and say you
can't turn her back again!"

To do strict justice to Leonard, calmness was not a distinguishing
feature of his attitude at the moment.

"I assure you I didn't turn Mrs. Hampton into a wolf; nothing was farther
from my intentions," he protested.

"Then where is she, and how came that animal into the conservatory?"
demanded the Colonel.

"Of course we must accept your assurance that you didn't turn Mrs.
Hampton into a wolf," said Clovis politely, "but you will agree that
appearances are against you."

"Are we to have all these recriminations with that beast standing there
ready to tear us to pieces?" wailed Mavis indignantly.

"Lord Pabham, you know a good deal about wild beasts--" suggested Colonel
Hampton.