heavily on her arm. He still leaned on her, as they walked back to the
palace together. But the supper--which they found laid for two--seemed
to revive him, and in his old stupid way he asked her about the time
she had spent at home, and if her father and brothers and sisters had
been glad to see her.
_Beauty_, though weary enough after her search through the park and
gardens, brisked herself up to tell of all that had happened to her in
her absence. The _Beast_ sat nodding his head and listening in his old
dull way--which somehow seemed to her the most comfortable way in the
world. At length he rose to go. But at the doorway he put the old blunt
question.
'_Beauty_, will you marry me?'
'Yes, dear _Beast_,' said _Beauty_; and as she said it a blaze of light
filled the room. A salvo of artillery sounded, a moment later, from
the park. Bang, bang! fireworks shot across the windows of the palace;
sky rockets and Roman candles exploded and a magnificent set-piece
wrote across the darkness in letters of fire--'LONG LIVE BEAUTY AND THE
BEAST!'
_Beauty_ turned to ask what all these rejoicings might mean; and, with
that, she gave a cry. The _Beast_ had vanished, and in his place stood
the beloved _Prince_ of her dreams! He smiled and stretched out his
hands to her. Scarcely knowing what she did, she was stretching hers,
to take them, when above the banging of fireworks in the avenues there
sounded a rolling of wheels. It drew to the porch, and presently there
entered the stately lady she had seen in her dreams. It was the very
same; and, all astounded as she was, _Beauty_ did reverence to her.
But the stately lady was as eager to do reverence to _Beauty_. 'Best
and dearest,' said she, 'my son is going to love you always; as how
should he not, seeing that by your courage you have rescued him from
the enchantment under which he has lain so long, and have restored him
to his natural form? But suffer also his mother, a Queen, to bless you!'
_Beauty_ turned again to her lover and saw that he, who had been a
_Beast_, was indeed the _Prince_ of her dreams and handsomer than the
day. So they were married and lived happy ever after; nay, so happy
were they that all over the world folks told one another and set down
in writing this wonderful history of _Beauty and the Beast_.
MORAL
_Maidens, from this tale of_ Beauty
_Learn, and in your memory write--_
_Daily leads a Path of Duty_
_Through the Garden of Delight;_
_Where the loveliest roses wear_
_Daunting thorns, for you to dare._
ANOTHER
_Many shy, unhappy creatures_
_From the covert watch your mirth:_
_'Foul are we,' they mourn; 'our features_
_Blot the sun, deform the earth.'_
_Pity, love them, speak them fair;_
_Half their woe ye may repair._