ve them ready."

So they did this and returned to the little room, where, to their
astonishment, they found breakfast ready. The merchant ate his with a
good appetite, as the Beast's generosity made him believe that he might
perhaps venture to come back soon and see Beauty. But she felt sure that
her father was leaving her for ever, so she was very sad when the bell
rang sharply for the second time, and warned them that the time had come
for them to part. They went down into the courtyard, where two horses
were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for him to
ride. They were pawing the ground in their impatience to start, and the
merchant was forced to bid Beauty a hasty farewell; and as soon as he
was mounted he went off at such a pace that she lost sight of him in an
instant. Then Beauty began to cry, and wandered sadly back to her
own room. But she soon found that she was very sleepy, and as she had
nothing better to do she lay down and instantly fell asleep. And then
she dreamed that she was walking by a brook bordered with trees, and
lamenting her sad fate, when a young prince, handsomer than anyone she
had ever seen, and with a voice that went straight to her heart, came
and said to her, "Ah, Beauty! you are not so unfortunate as you suppose.
Here you will be rewarded for all you have suffered elsewhere. Your
every wish shall be gratified. Only try to find me out, no matter how I
may be disguised, as I love you dearly, and in making me happy you will
find your own happiness. Be as true-hearted as you are beautiful, and we
shall have nothing left to wish for."

"What can I do, Prince, to make you happy?" said Beauty.

"Only be grateful," he answered, "and do not trust too much to your
eyes. And, above all, do not desert me until you have saved me from my
cruel misery."

After this she thought she found herself in a room with a stately and
beautiful lady, who said to her:

"Dear Beauty, try not to regret all you have left behind you, for you
are destined to a better fate. Only do not let yourself be deceived by
appearances."

Beauty found her dreams so interesting that she was in no hurry to
awake, but presently the clock roused her by calling her name softly
twelve times, and then she got up and found her dressing-table set
out with everything she could possibly want; and when her toilet was
finished she found dinner was waiting in the room next to hers. But
dinner does not take very long when y