oking 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-bye, Beauty; good-bye, 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 had 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
so heavy that an elephant could not have carried them!

"The Beast was mocking us," cried the merchant; "he must