He took a piece of sugar from the saucer of his coffee cup and flung it
to the expectant Louisa, who snapped it in mid-air. There was a sigh of
relief from the company; a wolf that ate sugar when it might at the least
have been employed in tearing macaws to pieces had already shed some of
its terrors. The sigh deepened to a gasp of thanks-giving when Lord
Pabham decoyed the animal out of the room by a pretended largesse of
further sugar. There was an instant rush to the vacated conservatory.
There was no trace of Mrs. Hampton except the plate containing the
macaws' supper.

"The door is locked on the inside!" exclaimed Clovis, who had deftly
turned the key as he affected to test it.

Everyone turned towards Bilsiter.

"If you haven't turned my wife into a wolf," said Colonel Hampton, "will
you kindly explain where she has disappeared to, since she obviously
could not have gone through a locked door? I will not press you for an
explanation of how a North American timber-wolf suddenly appeared in the
conservatory, but I think I have some right to inquire what has become of
Mrs. Hampton."

Bilsiter's reiterated disclaimer was met with a general murmur of
impatient disbelief.

"I refuse to stay another hour under this roof," declared Mavis
Pellington.

"If our hostess has really vanished out of human form," said Mrs. Hoops,
"none of the ladies of the party can very well remain. I absolutely