sorrowful father began their journey and at
nightfall arrived at the garden gate. When they entered they saw as
usual no one, but they beheld a lordly palace all lighted and the doors
wide open. When the two travellers entered the vestibule, suddenly four
marble statues, with lighted torches in their hands, descended from
their pedestals, and accompanied them up the stairs to a large hall
where a table was lavishly spread. The travellers, who were very hungry,
sat down and began to eat without ceremony; and when they had finished,
the same statues conducted them to two handsome chambers for the night.
Zelinda and her father were so weary that they slept like dormice all
night.

At daybreak Zelinda and her father arose, and were served with
everything for breakfast by invisible hands. Then they descended to the
garden, and began to seek the Monster. When they came to the rose-bush
he appeared in all his frightful ugliness. Zelinda, on seeing him,
became pale with fear, and her limbs trembled, but the Monster regarded
her attentively with his great fiery eyes, and afterward said to the
poor man: "Very well; you have kept your word, and I am satisfied. Now
depart and leave me alone here with the young girl." At this command the
old man thought he should die; and Zelinda, too, stood there half
stupefied and her eyes full of tears; but entreaties were of no avail;
the Monster remained as obdurate as a stone, and the poor man was
obliged to depart, leaving his dear Zelinda in the Monster's power.

When the Monster was alone with Zelinda he began to caress her, and make
loving speeches to her, and managed to appear quite civil. There was no
danger of his forgetting her, and he saw that she wanted nothing, and
every day, talking with her in the garden, he asked her: "Do you love
me, Zelinda? Will you be my wife?" The young girl always answered him in
the same way: "I like you, sir, but I will never be your wife." Then the
Monster appeared very sorrowful, and redoubled his caresses and
attentions, and, sighing deeply, said: "But you see, Zelinda, if you
should marry me wonderful things would happen. What they are I cannot
tell you until you will be my wife."

Zelinda, although in her heart not dissatisfied with that beautiful
place and with being treated like a queen, still did not feel at all
like marrying the Monster, because he was too ugly and looked like a
beast, and always answered his requests in the same manner. One da