r gently. "But what
you've got to do is to stand up to her."

"Stand up to her?" said the princess, puzzled by the idiom.

"Tell her that you don't care what she says," said the Terror.

"Cheek her," said Erebus.

"I couldn't. It would be too difficult," said the princess, shaking
her head.

"Of course it isn't easy at first; but you'll be surprised to find how
soon you'll get used to shutting her up," said the Terror. "But I
don't believe in cheeking her unless she gets very noisy. I believe in
being quite polite but not giving way."

"She is very noisy," said the princess.

"Oh, then you'll have to shout at her. It's the only way. But mind
you only have rows when you're in the right about something," said the
Terror. "Then she'll soon learn to leave you alone. It's no good
having a row when you're in the wrong."

"I think it's best always to have a row," said Erebus with an air of
wide experience.

"Well, it isn't--at least it wouldn't be for the princess--she's not
like you," said the Terror quickly.

"Oh, no: not always--only when one is in the right. I see that," said
the princess. "But what should I have a row about?"

The Twins puckered their brows as they cudgeled their brains for a
pretext for an honest row.

Presently the Terror said: "Why don't you make them let you have some
one to play with? It's silly being as dull as you are. What's the
good of being a princess, if you haven't any friends?"

"Oh, yes!" cried the princess; and her cheeks flushed, and her eyes
sparkled. "It would be nice! You and Erebus could come to tea with me
and sooper and loonch often and again!"

The Twins looked at each other with eyes full of a sudden dismay. It
was not in their scheme of things as they should be that they should go
to the Grange in the immaculate morning dress of an English boy and
girl, and spend stiff hours in the presence of a crimson baroness.

"That wouldn't do at all," said the Terror quickly. "You had better
not tell them anything at all about us. They wouldn't let us come to
the Grange; and they'd stop you coming here. It's ever so much nicer
meeting secretly like this."

"But it would be very nice to meet at the Grange as well as here," said
the princess, who felt strongly that she could not have enough of this
good thing.

"It couldn't be done. They wouldn't have us at the Grange," said
Erebus, supporting the Terror.

"But why not?" said the princess in surprise.