il her prince should come thundering over the
drawbridge below. Jill's prince had not come yet, so of course she would
have to go on working by the window till he did; she deserved an extra
nice prince too, and Babs sighed as she remembered that she had not been
able to find her any sort of a prince so far.

'It's a pity, isn't it, that Dr. Hurst had to be enchanted again so soon?'
she murmured aloud.

'I'm afraid I don't _quite_ understand,' said the princess, from the
window.

'You see,' continued Babs, solemnly, 'he began by being a beast; then I
disenchanted him and made him into a handsome and gallant young prince;
and after that he was so horrid to Jean and Angela in the quarantine that
I had to turn him out of my kingdom, and make him wander over the earth
once more in the shape of a beast.'

'Oh,' said Jill, bending rather closely over the embroidery frame. 'Let
me see, what kingdom was that?'

'_My_ kingdom,' answered Barbara, in an important tone. Then she realised
that Jill did not know about her kingdom. 'I've never told any one
before,' she went on doubtfully. 'If I tell you, Jill, will you promise
not to laugh?'

Jill promised, and worked on steadily at her embroidery while the small
voice from the bed painted her the fairy kingdom she had never described
to any one before.

'And so,' concluded Barbara, with a sigh, 'I can't make it come right,
because now there's a princess without a prince. Do you mind waiting until
I find you a prince, Jill?'

'Not at all,' answered Jill, turning to the light rather abruptly, and
taking quite a long time to choose between two shades of silk.

'It was so stupid of Dr. Hurst to get himself turned out like that, wasn't
it?' continued Babs.

'He--perhaps he didn't know,' said Jill, with some hesitation.

'You can't be a beast without knowing it,' answered Barbara, positively.

'Are you sure he _is_ a beast?' asked Jill, who was still looking out of
the window, though she had chosen her silk some moments ago.

'Oh, he's not a beast now. I _love_ him. Don't you?' cried the child,
enthusiastically.

Jill began putting her work away in a great hurry. 'It's time for tea,'
she remarked.

Barbara did not seem to have heard. The dreamy look had returned to her
face, and she was almost thinking aloud.

'You see,' she murmured, 'however nice he is now, he _must_ walk round
the world seven times, and kill a giant, and rescue a beautiful princess,
before he can be