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第6章 天字第一号之战

"Yes, dear Beast."

The merchant was too terrified to reply, but Beauty answeredsweetly:

"I think, father," she said, "that, as the gold will be more usefulto you, we had better take out the other things again, and fill thetrunks with it." So they did this; but the more they put in, themore room there seemed to be, and at last they put back all thejewels and dresses they had taken out, and Beauty even added asmany more of the jewels as she could carry at once; and then thetrunks were not too full, but they were so heavy that an elephantcould not have carried them!

e wouldnot be enough even to read the names of the books, there were so

The merchant was only too glad when the Beast went away,and though he could not sleep for sadness, he lay down until

"if he makes all this rejoicing over the arrival of his prey."

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

Then her sisters seemed to have got quite used to being withouther, and even found her rather in the way, so she would not havebeen sorry when the two months were over but for her fatherand brothers, who begged her to stay, and seemed so grieved atthe thought of her departure that she had not the courage to saygood-bye to them. Every day when she got up she meant to sayit at night, and when night came she put it off again, until at lastshe had a dismal dream which helped her to make up her mind.She thought she was wandering in a lonely path in the palacegardens, when she heard groans which seemed to come fromsome bushes hiding the entrance of a cave, and running quicklyto see what could be the matter, she found the Beast stretchedout upon his side, apparently dying. He reproached her faintlywith being the cause of his distress, and at the same moment astately lady appeared, and said very gravely:

At first nobody would hear of this arrangement, and her fatherand brothers, who loved her dearly, declared that nothing shouldmake them let her go; but Beauty was firm. As the time drew nearshe divided all her little possessions between her sisters, and said