rough her first holidays. To be sure, she was going to Crofts the
day after to-morrow, and Auntie Anna had promised that Jean and Angela
should come and see her the very next Saturday; but that did not make
up for everything, and she hoped that if her bad fairy ever bewitched her
again, she would manage to do it in term-time instead of when the boys
came home.

The Doctor drove up just below as she came to this conclusion, and she
forgot her own enchantment in the more thrilling amusement of thinking
about his.

It was rather stupid of the Doctor, she reflected, to be such a long time
working out the rest of his spell. Any one who had gone round the world
seven times, as easily and as cheerfully as he had, might at least take
the trouble to find a princess to rescue. He must really want to go on
being a beast, she decided, as she craned her neck over the window-sill
and watched him dismount from his gig. The princes in the fairy tales
never wanted to go on being beasts; and it was very confusing. Just
then, Jill came out on the doorstep, and she patted the horse and began to
talk to the Doctor. Barbara laughed softly to herself. If only the cruel
giant would come along now and clap Jill into a dungeon, the Doctor
could rescue her on the spot and then stand before her in his real shape.
A prince and princess, who had no giant to bring them together, did not
make the right sort of fairy tale at all.

'Hullo! There _is_ the giant!' exclaimed Babs, immediately afterwards, as
Peter came striding across the lawn to interrupt the conversation on
the doorstep. 'He must be the giant,' she continued, watching the trio
below her with great interest, 'because the Doctor is looking so angry
and Jill has such a funny, frightened look on her face. Besides, Peter
looks like a giant; he's so big and dangerous looking. I wonder if the
Doctor will kill the giant _now_, or--oh, dear! they've both come indoors
and left the giant outside. I don't think I ever heard of the prince and
princess running _away_ from the giant before. I'm sure that's wrong. How
Peter is grinning--just like a horrid old giant. _Coo-ey_, Peter!'

The prince and princess came into the room, talking busily.

'If you don't come to-morrow,' Dr. Hurst was saying, 'I am afraid it will
have to be put off indefinitely, as I am going away for ten days. When I
come back, you will have gone to Crofts, you see.'

'I will ask Auntie Anna,' answered Jill.

Barbara seized t