, having examined it, said to his wife:--

"How comes this stain upon the key?"

"I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death.

"You do not know!" replied Blue Beard. "I very well know. You wished to
go into the cabinet? Very well, madam; you shall go in, and take your
place among the ladies you saw there."

She threw herself weeping at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon
with all the signs of a true repentance for her disobedience. She would
have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Blue Beard
had a heart harder than any stone.

"You must die, madam," said he, "and that at once."

"Since I must die," answered she, looking upon him with her eyes all
bathed in tears, "give me some little time to say my prayers."

"I give you," replied Blue Beard, "half a quarter of an hour, but not
one moment more."

When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her:--

"Sister Anne,"--for that was her name,--"go up, I beg you, to the top of
the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming; they promised me they
would come to-day, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste."

Her sister Anne went up to the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted
wife cried out from time to time:--

"Anne, sister Anne, do you see any one coming?"

And sister Anne said:--

"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which
looks green."

In the meanwhile Blue Beard, holding a great sabre in his hand, cried to
his wife as loud as he could:--

"Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you."

"One moment longer, if you please," said his wife; and then she cried
out very softly, "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see anybody coming?"

And sister Anne answered:--

"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which is
green."

"Come down quickly," cried Blue Beard, "or I will come up to you."

"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried, "Anne, sister
Anne, dost thou not see any one coming?"

"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great dust, which comes from this
side."

"Are they my brothers?"

"Alas! no, my sister, I see a flock of sheep."

"Will you not come down?" cried Blue Beard.

"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out, "Anne,
sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?"

"I see," said she, "two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off."

"God be praised," replied the poor wife, joyfully; "they are my
brot