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第1章 小玄界

The horse stopped at the foot of the flight of steps leading tothe terrace, and when they had dismounted her father led her tothe little room he had been in before, where they found a splendidfire burning, and the table daintily spread with a delicious supper.

"You are very ready with excuses and flattery," he cried; "butthat will not save you from the death you deserve."

"Now," said the Fairy to Beauty, "I suppose you would likeme to send for all your brothers and sisters to dance at yourwedding?"

And then her dreams changed, but the charming Prince figuredin them all; and when morning came her first thought was to lookat the portrait and see if it was really like him, and she found thatit certainly was.

This morning she decided to amuse herself in the garden,for the sun shone, and all the fountains were playing; but shewas astonished to find that every place was familiar to her, andpresently she came to the brook where the myrtle trees weregrowing where she had first met the Prince in her dream, and thatmade her think more than ever that he must be kept a prisonerby the Beast. When she was tired she went back to the palace,and found a new room full of materials for every kind of work--ribbons to make into bows, and silks to work into flowers. Thenthere was an aviary full of rare birds, which were so tame thatthey flew to Beauty as soon as they saw her, and perched uponher shoulders and her head.

Then he asked if she thought she could be happy in his palace;and Beauty answered that everything was so beautiful that shewould be very hard to please if she could not be happy. And afterabout an hour's talk Beauty began to think that the Beast was notnearly so terrible as she had supposed at first. Then he got up toleave her, and said in his gruff voice:

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

"I am pleased with you," said the Beast. "As you have comeof your own accord, you may stay. As for you, old man," headded, turning to the merchant, "at sunrise to-morrow you willtake your departure. When the bell rings get up quickly and eatyour breakfast, and you will find the same horse waiting to takeyou home; but remember that you must never expect to see mypalace again."

But this excited their curiosity so greatly that presently hetold them his adventures from beginning to end, and then theywere all very unhappy. The girls lamented loudly over their losthopes, and the sons declared that their father should not returnto this terrible castle, and began to make plans for killing theBeast if it should come to fetch him. But he reminded them thathe had promised to go back. Then the girls were very angrywith Beauty, and said it was all her fault, and that if she hadasked for something sensible this would never have happened,and complained bitterly that they should have to suffer for herfolly.