On the other hand, such as had admired Beauty BEAUTY

pressed their services on her, and would gladly 4

have shared their fortunes with her. She, how-
ever, could not think of deserting her father when
he was reduced to low estate. She felt she must
abide by him, and work for him.
Very soon, the grand house in town was sold, as
well as all the rich furniture, and the merchant
and his daughters retired into the country.
Beauty now rose at four o’clock every morning.
She cleaned the house, laid and lighted the fires,
prepared the breakfast, and put flowers on the
table. Then she cooked the dinner, and made the
house tidy. She was happy, and sang like a lark
over her work, and slept peacefully, and had
pleasant dreams.
Meanwhile, her sisters grew peevish, dissatisfied,
and miserable. They would not work; and, as they
had no occupation and no amusement, the days
dragged along and seemed as though they would
never end. They did nothing but regret the past,
and grumble over the present. As they had no
one to admire them, they neglected their personal
appearance and became veritable dowdies.
Perhaps they perceived that the contrast between
their sister and themselves was not to their advan-
tage, for they became spiteful in their manner to
Beauty, and held up their hands and declared that
she had always been fit only to be a servant.
‘It is clear as daylight,’ said they to Beauty;
‘that Nature made you to occupy a menial
position, and now you are in your proper place.
As for us, we are ladies. We can’t soil our
fingers, we can’t dust the furniture, we can’t scrub
the floor. Weare above such things.’
The merchant heard, after a while, that there was
some chance of retrieving part of his fortune if he
made a journey to a country where one of his
richest vessels had been wrecked. He must claim
F 81

ND THE
BEAST