"Experiments in Magnetism," spelt the policeman aloud into his notebook. "And 'oo left your 'ouse at nine forty-five P.M. last night?"
The policeman withered her once more with a glance.
"Lady 'Iggins, did you say your son left your 'ouse at nine forty-five P.M. last night?"
"You seem to me dretfully impertinent," said Lady Arabel. "This is not a court of law. My son Rrchud left the house with me and our guest to seek shelter from the raid."
"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.
"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?"
"'Ave you no memory of last Seturday night?"
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?"
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...."
"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."
"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.