under proper control," said Mrs. Cornett, "or the elephants at the
Zoological Gardens. They're said to be highly intelligent, and
they have this recommendation, that they don't come creeping about
our bedrooms and under chairs, and so forth."

An archangel ecstatically proclaiming the Millennium, and then
finding that it clashed unpardonably with Henley and would have to
be indefinitely postponed, could hardly have felt more crestfallen
than Cornelius Appin at the reception of his wonderful
achievement. Public opinion, however, was against him--in fact,
had the general voice been consulted on the subject it is probable
that a strong minority vote would have been in favour of including
him in the strychnine diet.

Defective train arrangements and a nervous desire to see matters
brought to a finish prevented an immediate dispersal of the party,
but dinner that evening was not a social success. Sir Wilfrid had
had rather a trying time with the stable cat and subsequently with
the coachman. Agnes Resker ostentatiously limited her repast to a
morsel of dry toast, which she bit as though it were a personal
enemy; while Mavis Pellington maintained a vindictive silence
throughout the meal. Lady Blemley kept up a flow of what she
hoped was conversation, but her attention was fixed on the
doorway. A plateful of carefully dosed fish scraps was in
readiness on the sideboard, but sweets and savoury and dessert
went their way, and no Tobermory appeared either in the dining-
room or kitchen.

The sepulchral dinner was cheerful compared with the subsequent
vigil in the smoking-room. Eating and drinking had at least