|Beauty lived in this way three months. The Beast came to supper every
night. He did not grow less ugly, but Beauty did not mind his ugliness
so much, for she saw how kind he really was. But there was one trouble.
Every night the Beast was sure to ask:--
“Will you marry me, Beauty?” and Beauty always answered:--
“No, Beast.”
But one night he begged her at least never to leave him. Now it chanced
on that very day Beauty had looked in her glass. There she saw her
father sick with grief, for he thought his child was dead. Her sisters
were married. Her brothers were soldiers. So she told all this to the
Beast, and wept and said she should die if she could not see her father
once more.
“Do not refuse to let me go!” she begged.
“No,” said the Beast. “I will not refuse you. I would much rather your
poor Beast should die of grief for your absence. So you may go.”
“Oh, thank you, dear Beast,” said Beauty, “and I will surely come back
in a week.”
“When you wish to come back, Beauty, lay your ring on the table
before you go to bed, and you will find yourself here when you wake.
Good-night, Beauty.”
“Good-night, Beast.”
The next morning Beauty woke to find herself at the farm-house. Her
father was so glad to see her once more, and to know she was alive and
well, that his sickness left him at once. He sent for her sisters, who
came and brought their husbands.
These husbands were not much to be praised. One was so vain that he
looked at himself, and seldom looked at his wife. The other had a sharp
tongue, and liked to use it on other people, and most of all on his own
wife. So the sisters were no happier than they had been.
But they were still jealous of Beauty, and they laid a plan for her
hurt. They thought if they could keep her at home after the week was
over, the Beast would be so angry, he would soon make an end of her. So,
at the end of the week, they made a great ado, and begged her to stay
just a little longer. Beauty could not help being glad to have her
sisters want her. She said she would stay one week more; but she was not
quite easy in her mind.
On the night of the tenth day the sisters gave her a feast, in order
to make her forget the Beast. But at night Beauty dreamed she saw poor
Beast lying half dead on the grass in the palace garden. She woke in
tears, and at once laid her ring on the table, and then went to sleep
again.
When she awoke, she was once more in her room at the palace. All day
she wished for supper time to come. Then she would see Beast again. But
supper time came, and no Beast was at the table. Nine o’clock struck,
and still Beast did not come.
[Illustration: 0143]
Beauty flew into the garden. She went to the spot she had dreamed of,
and there lay poor Beast on the grass. She felt his heart beat. He was
still alive. She ran for some water and threw it on his face. The Beast
opened his eyes and said in a faint voice:--
“You forgot your promise. I could not live without you, and I meant to
starve to death. Now you have come, and I shall die happy.”
“No! you shall not die, dear Beast,” cried Beauty. “You shall live to be
my husband, for now I feel I really love you.”
At these words the whole palace was ablaze with light. Music sounded,
and there was a stir all about. There was no Beast, but in his place a
very handsome prince was at Beauty’s feet.
“You have broken the charm that held me,” he said.
“But where is my poor Beast?” asked Beauty, weeping. “I want my dear
Beast.”
“I was the Beast,” said the Prince. “A wicked fairy had power to make
me live in that ugly form, till some good and beautiful maid should be
found, so good as to love me in spite of my ugliness.”
Beauty was amazed, but she took the Prince’s hand and they went into the
palace. The people of the country were full of joy. They had mourned for
their Prince, and now he had suddenly come back again, and with him
was a beautiful princess. So Beauty and the Beast, who was no longer a
Beast, reigned happily in the kingdom.