“That’s all right,” said the Terror, greatly relieved.
There was a short silence; then he said thoughtfully: “I tell you what: it would be a good thing if you were to get some muscle on you. Suppose we taught you some exercises. You could practise them at home; and soon you’d be able to do things when you were with us.”
“What things?” said the princess.
“Oh, you’d be able to run—and jump. Why we might even be able to teach you to climb,” said the Terror with a touch of enthusiasm in his tone as the loftier heights of philanthropy loomed upon his inner vision.
“Oh, that would be nice!” cried the princess. Forthwith the Twins set about teaching her some of the exercises which go to the making of muscle; and the princess was a painstaking pupil. In spite of the seeds of revolt they had sown in her heart, she was eager to get back to the peach-garden before the baroness should awake, or at any rate before she should have satisfied herself that her charge was not in the house or about the gardens. The Terror therefore conducted her down the screen of trees to the door in the wall. She had left it unlatched; and he pushed it open gently. There was no sound of snoring: the baroness had awoke and left the garden.
“I expect she is still looking for me in the house,” said the princess calmly. “They’d be shouting if she weren’t.”
“Yes. I say; do you want all these peaches?” said the Terror, looking round the loaded walls.
“Me? No. I have a peach for breakfast and another for lunch. But I don’t care for peaches much. It’s the way the baroness eats them, I think—the juice roonning down, you know. And she eats six or seven always.”
“That woman’s a pig. I thought she looked like one,” said the Terror with conviction. “But if you don’t want them all, may I have some for my mother? The doctor has ordered her fruit; and she’s very fond of peaches.”
“Oh, yes; take some for your mother and yourself and Erebus. Take them all,” said the princess with quick generosity.