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 size, for I took particular note of the lady’s shoes when she was dancing!”

“Pooh! What nonsense!” answered Euphronia with a scornful smile. “Everybody knows that you take nines in shoes, and that is two sizes larger than mine. For my part, I also took careful note of the glass slippers, and I am positive they were sevens. Besides, they were slim and elegant shoes, not at all suitable for massive feet like yours.”

Here Euphronia stretched out her own long and bony foot, clothed in its red stocking, and gazed at it admir­ingly, while Charlotte sniffed.

Soon afterwards the sound of the trumpet was heard outside, and a loud knock came to the door. Cinderella opened it and showed the courier into the drawing-room, where the sisters were already sitting, dressed in their best. After she had shown him in she went into the kitchen again, for she had not received an invitation to stay.

The courier read the proclamation, and the servant knelt down to try the slipper on Charlotte’s foot, which was already extended towards him.

“No, no, I should be first,” cried Euphronia. “It is perfectly useless to try the slipper on Charlotte. Anybody can see with a glance it is much too small.”

“Nothing of the kind!” snapped Charlotte, squeezing her toes into the slipper so that she winced with the pain. “A little humouring is all that is necessary!”