"And yet you have such beautiful feet," Aurora said.
"Have I?" Regina asked indifferently. "I thought all feet were alike. But I have torn my stocking—it is hard to get the shoe on."
"Let me help you." Aurora knelt down quickly, and began to loosen the lacing further, but Regina protested, flushing deeply and trying to draw her foot back.
"No, no!" she cried. "You are a lady!"
"What difference does that make?" asked Aurora, laughing and insisting.
"This is not right!" Regina still protested, and the blush had not left her cheeks.
But Aurora smoothed the torn stocking under the sole of each foot, and slipped on the shoes, which were by no means tight, and tied the lacing fast.
"Thank you, Signorina," Regina said, much confused. "You are too good!"
She picked up her hat and put it on, but she was not clever with the pin, for she was used to having Settimia do everything for her which she had not learned to do for herself before she had come to Rome.
"I can never manage it without Settimia," she said, as if excusing herself for her awkwardness, as she again submitted to Aurora's help.