ill you give me leave to see you sup?"

"That is as you please," answered she, very much afraid.

"Not in the least," said the beast; "you alone command in this place.
If you should not like my company, you need only say so, and I will
leave you that moment. But tell me, Beauty, do you not think me very
ugly?"

"Why, yes," said she, "for I cannot tell a falsehood; but then I think
you are very good."

"Am I?" sadly replied the beast; "yet, besides being ugly, I am also
very stupid: I know well enough that I am but a beast."

"Very stupid people," said Beauty, "are never aware of it themselves."

At which kindly speech the beast looked pleased, and replied, not
without an awkward sort of politeness, "Pray do not let me detain you
from supper, and be sure that you are well served. All you see is your
own, and I should be deeply grieved if you wanted for any thing."

"You are very kind--so kind that I almost forgot you are so ugly,"
said Beauty, earnestly.

"Ah! yes," answered the beast, with a great sigh; "I hope I am
good-tempered, but still I am only a monster."

"There is many a monster who wears the form of a man; it is better of
the two to have the heart of a man and the form of a monster."

"I would thank you, Beauty, for this speech, but I am too senseless to
say anything that would please you," returned the beast in a
melancholy voice; and altogether he seemed so gentle and so unhappy,
that Beauty, who had the tenderest heart in the world, felt her fear
of him gradually vanish.

She ate her supper with a good appetite, and conversed in her own
sensible and charming way, till at last, when the beast rose to
depart, he terrified her more than ever by saying abruptly, in his
gruff voice, "Beauty, will you marry me!"

Now Beauty, frightened as she was, would speak only the exact truth;
besides, her father had told her that the beast liked only to have
the truth spoken to him. So she answered, in a very firm tone, "No,
beast."

He did not go into a passion, or do anything but sigh deeply, and
depart.

When Beauty found herself alone, she began to feel pity for the poor
beast. "Oh!" said she, "what a sad thing it is that he should be so
very frightful, since he is so good-tempered!"

Beauty lived three months in this palace very well pleased. The beast
came to see her every night, and talked with her while she supped; and
though what he said was not very clever, yet, as she saw in him every
day some