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第4章 不惧圣人

"Alas!" thought the merchant, "if my daughter Beauty couldonly know what danger her rose has brought me into!"

"Good-evening, Beauty," she answered cheerfully and man-aged to conceal her terror. Then the Beast asked her how shehad been amusing herself, and she told him all the rooms she hadseen.

All that he had left was a little house in a desolate place at leasta hundred leagues from the town in which he had lived, and to thishe was forced to retreat with his children, who were in despair atthe idea of leading such a different life. Indeed, the daughters atfirst hoped that their friends, who had been so numerous whilethey were rich, would insist on their staying in their houses nowthey no longer possessed one. But they soon found that theywere left alone, and that their former friends even attributed theirmisfortunes to their own extravagance, and showed no intentionof offering them any help. So nothing was left for them but totake their departure to the cottage, which stood in the midst of

"Alas!" thought the merchant, "if my daughter Beauty couldonly know what danger her rose has brought me into!"

"Well, Queen, this is Beauty, who has had the courage torescue your son from the terrible enchantment. They love oneanother, and only your consent to their marriage is wanting tomake them perfectly happy."

"Oh! he is dead; and it is all my fault," said Beauty, crying

"A king's ransom would hardly have procured all that my otherdaughters asked," he said; "but I thought that I might at least takeBeauty her rose. I beg you to forgive me, for you see I meant noharm."

So she got up and began to explore some of the many roomsof the palace.

And then she tenderly embraced Beauty and the Prince, whohad meanwhile been greeting the Fairy and receiving her con-gratulations.