″‘Well, first of all, they are very beautiful,’ said Peregrine, leaning back against a tree trunk and ticking off the points on his fingers. ‘Then secondly and thirdly and fourthly, they all have long golden hair, blue eyes, and the most lovely complexions. Fifthly and sixthly, they are graceful and accomplished. Sev enthly, they have names like Persephone, Sapphire, and Roxanne. And lastly,’ said Peregrine, running out of fingers, ‘they are all excessively proper and extremely dull ... except when they are make-believe princesses who are really kitchen maids!‘”