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第3章 变化生

"Ah, Beauty! why are you so unkind to me? I fear I am fatedto be unhappy for many a long day still."

In spite of being so cold and weary when he reached the castle,

But presently she heard the Beast coming, and wonderedtremblingly if he meant to eat her up now.

Beauty found her supper served just at the time she preferredto have it, but she did not see anyone or hear a sound, and, thoughher father had warned her that she would be alone, she began tofind it rather dull.

"Ah! Beauty, have you the heart to desert an unhappy Beastlike this? What more do you want to make you happy? Is itbecause you hate me that you want to escape?"

The first she entered was lined with mirrors, and Beauty sawherself reflected on every side, and thought she had never seensuch a charming room. Then a bracelet which was hanging froma chandelier caught her eye, and on taking it down she wasgreatly surprised to find that it held a portrait of her unknownadmirer, just as she had seen him in her dream. With great delightshe slipped the bracelet on her arm, and went on into a gallery ofpictures, where she soon found a portrait of the same handsomePrince, as large as life, and so well painted that as she studied ithe seemed to smile kindly at her. Tearing herself away from theportrait at last, she passed through into a room which containedevery musical instrument under the sun, and here she amusedherself for a long while in trying some of them, and singinguntil she was tired. The next room was a library, and she saweverything she had ever wanted to read, as well as everythingshe had read, and it seemed to her that a whole lifetim

Beauty answered bravely that she was quite prepared to stay.

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:

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