s ears half a dozen times whilst she was dressing; but as poor
little Betsinda was used to this kind of treatment, she did not feel
any special alarm. "And now," says she, "when her Majesty rings her bell
twice, I'll trouble you, miss, to attend."

So when the Queen's bell rang twice, Betsinda came to her Majesty and
made a pretty little curtsey. The Queen, the Princess, and Gruffanuff
were all three in the room. As soon as they saw her they began,

"You wretch!" says the Queen.

"You little vulgar thing!" says the Princess.

"You beast!" says Gruffanuff.

"Get out of my sight!" says the Queen.

"Go away with you, do!" says the Princess.

"Quit the premises!" says Gruffanuff.

"Alas! and woe is me!" very lamentable events had occurred to Betsinda
that morning, and all in consequence of that fatal warming-pan business
of the previous night. The King had offered to marry her; of course her
Majesty the Queen was jealous: Bulbo had fallen in love with her; of
course Angelica was furious: Giglio was in love with her, and oh, what a
fury Gruffy was in!

{ cap }

"Take off that {petticoat} I gave you," they said, all at once,

{ gown }

and began tearing the clothes off poor Betsinda.

{ the King?" }

"How dare you flirt with {Prince Bulbo?" } cried the Queen, the

{Prince Giglio?"} Princess, and Countess.

"Give her the rags she wore when she came into the house, and turn her
out of it!" cries the Queen.

"Mind she does not go with MY shoes on, which I lent her so kindly,"
says the Princess; and indeed the Princess's shoes were a great deal too
big for Betsinda.

"Come with me, you filthy hussy!" and taking up the Queen's poker, the
cruel Gruffanuff drove Betsinda into her room.

The Countess went to the glass box in which she had kept Betsinda's old
cloak and shoe this ever so long, and said, "Take those rags, you little
beggar creature, and strip off everything belonging to honest people,
and go about your business"; and she actually tore off the poor little
delicate thing's back almost all her things, and told her to be off out
of the house.

Poor Betsinda huddled the cloak round her back, on which were
embroidered the letters PRIN. . . . ROSAL . . and then came a great
rent.

As for the shoe, what was she to do with one poor little tootsey sandal?
The string was still to it, so she hung it round her neck.

"Won't you give me a pair of shoes to go out in the snow, mum, if you
please, mum?"