an calm her, if you will.'

Kit muttered something indistinctly, and she went on talking in her soft
voice. 'The child has got into her head that you have done something to
the Doctor, so I want you to assure her that it is all right. Will you,
Kit dear?'

'I'm the biggest brute,' burst out the boy, 'that ever----'

'Nonsense!' said Jill, putting her hand over his mouth. Then she opened
the door of Barbara's room and they went in.

Auntie Anna was sitting by the child, trying to soothe her.

'Bless your little heart!' she was saying as they entered. 'There's
nothing the matter with the Doctor, my dear. What makes you think such
a thing, eh?'

'You don't understand,' said the little fretful voice from the bed. 'Kit
said--Kit said----'

Christopher pushed Jill on one side, and suddenly knew what he had got
to do.

'That's all right, Babe; I was only rotting,' he said bluntly, and patted
the hot little hand that lay on the counterpane.

The bright, wistful eyes were fixed searchingly on his face. 'But you've
sent him wandering seven times round the world,' she murmured wearily.
'You said you had, Kit.'

'It's all right, Babe,' said Kit, again. 'He's come back now. I've just
seen him.'

He only partly understood what she was talking about, but he seemed to
know how to satisfy her, and the others drew back and left him to do it
alone.

'You've seen him?' asked Babs, wonderingly. 'But----'

'You see,' said Kit, desperately, 'it doesn't take long to get round the
world seven times, when--when you've got a smart little cob like his!'

The worried look faded out of the child's face, and she smiled for the
first time. 'That isn't the reason, Kit,' she told him. 'It is because he
was once a fairy prince.'

'Oh, is it?' remarked Kit.

The bright little eyes were closing sleepily, and the aching bandaged head
fell sideways on the pillow.

'He has only got to kill the giant and rescue the princess now,' she
whispered contentedly. And Kit went on stroking her hand till she was
sound asleep.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE RESCUE OF A PRINCESS

Barbara was none the worse for her relapse, and she made such a good
recovery in the weeks that followed, that the Doctor decided she could
be moved to Crofts on the last day of the holidays. Miss Finlayson
vowed she had never enjoyed her Easter holidays so much before for she had
persuaded Auntie Anna and the boys to remain her guests the whole time,
to save her, as she