ht of him, she made a great effort to hide her horror
and saluted him respectfully.

This evidently pleased the beast. After looking at her he said, in a
tone that might have struck terror into the boldest heart, though he did
not seem to be angry:

"Good-evening, old man. Good-evening, Beauty."

The merchant was too terrified to reply, but Beauty answered sweetly:

"Good-evening, beast."

"Have you come willingly?" asked the beast. "Will you be content to stay
here when your father goes away?"

Beauty answered bravely that she was quite prepared to stay.

"I am pleased with you," said the beast. "As you have come of your own
accord, you may stay. As for you, old man," he added, turning to the
merchant, "at sunrise to-morrow you will take your departure. When the
bell rings get up quickly and eat your breakfast, and you will find the
same horse waiting to take you home; but remember that you must never
expect to see my palace again."

Then turning to Beauty he said:

"Take your father into the next room and help him to choose everything
you think your brothers and sisters would like to have. You will find
two traveling-trunks there; fill them as full as you can. It is only
just that you should send them something very precious as a remembrance
of yourself."

Then he went away after saying, "Good-by, Beauty; good-by, old man"; and
though Beauty was beginning to think with great dismay of her father's
departure, she was afraid to disobey the beast's orders, and they went
into the next room, which had shelves and cupboards all round it. They
were greatly surprised at the riches it contained. There were splendid
dresses fit for a queen, with all the ornaments that were to be worn
with them; and when Beauty opened the cupboards she was quite dazzled by
the gorgeous jewels that lay in heaps upon every shelf. After choosing a
vast quantity, which she divided between her sisters--for she made a
heap of the wonderful dresses for each of them--she opened the last
chest, which was full of gold.

"I think, father," she said, "that as the gold will be more useful to
you we had better take out the other things again and fill the trunks
with it." So they did this; but the more they put in the more room there
seemed to be, and at last they put back all the jewels and dresses they
had taken out, and Beauty even added as many more of the jewels as she
could carry at once; and then the trunks were not too full, but they
were