und in the next room a large chest full of dresses,
trimmed all over with gold, and adorned with pearls and diamonds.

Beauty, in her own mind, thanked the beast for his kindness, and put
on the plainest gown she could find among them all. She then desired
the servant to lay the rest aside, for she intended to give them to
her sisters; but, as soon as she had spoken these words, the chest was
gone out of sight in a moment. Her father then suggested, perhaps the
beast chose for her to keep them all for herself: and as soon as he
had said this, they saw the chest standing again in the same place.
While Beauty was dressing herself, a servant brought word to her that
her sisters were come with their husbands to pay her a visit. They
both lived unhappily with the gentlemen they had married. The husband
of the eldest was very handsome, but was so proud of this, that he
thought of nothing else from morning till night, and did not care a
pin for the beauty of his wife. The second had married a man of great
learning; but he made no use of it, except to torment and affront all
his friends, and his wife more than any of them. The two sisters were
ready to burst with spite when they saw Beauty dressed like a
princess, and looking so very charming. All the kindness that she
showed them was of no use; for they were vexed more than ever when she
told them how happy she lived at the palace of the beast. The
spiteful creatures went by themselves into the garden, where they
cried to think of her good fortune.

"Why should the little wretch be better off than we?" said they. "We
are much handsomer than she is."

"Sister!" said the eldest, "a thought has just come into my head: let
us try to keep her here longer than the week for which the beast gave
her leave; and then he will be so angry, that perhaps when she goes
back to him he will eat her up in a moment."

"That is well thought of," answered the other, "but to do this, we
must pretend to be very kind."

They then went to join her in the cottage, where they showed her so
much false love, that Beauty could not help crying for joy.

When the week was ended, the two sisters began to pretend such grief
at the thought of her leaving them, that she agreed to stay a week
more: but all that time Beauty could not help fretting for the sorrow
that she knew her absence would give her poor beast; for she tenderly
loved him, and much wished for his company again. Among all the grand
and cle