Beauty and The Beast | Page 9

of life in the castle of Kinesma,
during the first month or two after his departure.
It must be stated, as one favorable trait in the character of Prince Alexis, that, however
brutally he treated his serfs, he allowed no other man to oppress them. All they had and
were--their services, bodies, lives--belonged to him; hence injustice towards them was
disrespect towards their lord. Under the fear which his barbarity inspired lurked a
brute-like attachment, kept alive by the recognition of this quality.
One day it was reported to him that Gregor, a merchant in the bazaar at Kinesma, had
cheated the wife of one of his serfs in the purchase of a piece of cloth. Mounting his
horse, he rode at once to Gregor's booth, called for the cloth, and sent the entire piece to
the woman, in the merchant's name, as a confessed act of reparation.
"Now, Gregor, my child," said he, as he turned his horse's head, "have a care in future,
and play me no more dishonest tricks. Do you hear? I shall come and take your business
in hand myself, if the like happens again."
Not ten days passed before the like--or something fully as bad-- did happen. Gregor must
have been a new comer in Kinesma, or he would not have tried the experiment. In an
hour from the time it was announced, Prince Alexis appeared in the bazaar with a short
whip under his arm.
He dismounted at the booth with an ironical smile on his face, which chilled the very
marrow in the merchant's bones.
"Ah, Gregor, my child," he shouted, "you have already forgotten my commands. Holy St.
Nicholas, what a bad memory the boy has! Why, he can't be trusted to do business: I must
attend to the shop myself. Out of the way! march!"
He swung his terrible whip; and Gregor, with his two assistants, darted under the counter,
and made their escape. The Prince then entered the booth, took up a yard-stick, and cried
out in a voice which could be heard from one end of the town to the other,-- "Ladies and
gentlemen, have the kindness to come and examine our stock of goods! We have silks
and satins, and all kinds of ladies' wear; also velvet, cloth, cotton, and linen for the
gentlemen. Will your Lordships deign to choose? Here are stockings and handkerchiefs
of the finest. We understand how to measure, your Lordships, and we sell cheap. We give
no change, and take no small money. Whoever has no cash may have credit. Every thing
sold below cost, on account of closing up the establishment. Ladies and gentlemen, give
us a call?"
Everybody in Kinesma flocked to the booth, and for three hours Prince Alexis measured
and sold, either for scant cash or long credit, until the last article had been disposed of

and the shelves were empty. There was great rejoicing in the community over the
bargains made that day. When all was over, Gregor was summoned, and the cash
received paid into his hands.
"It won't take you long to count it," said the Prince; but here is a list of debts to be
collected, which will furnish you with pleasant occupation, and enable you to exercise
your memory. Would your Worship condescend to take dinner to-day with your humble
assistant? He would esteem it a favor to be permitted to wait upon you with whatever his
poor house can supply."
Gregor gave a glance at the whip under the Prince's arm, and begged to be excused. But
the latter would take no denial, and carried out the comedy to the end by giving the
merchant the place of honor at his table, and dismissing him with the present of a fine
pup of his favorite breed. Perhaps the animal acted as a mnemonic symbol, for Gregor
was never afterwards accused of forgetfulness.
If this trick put the Prince in a good humor, some thing presently occurred which carried
him to the opposite extreme. While taking his customary siesta one afternoon, a wild
young fellow--one of his noble poor relations, who "sponged" at the castle--happened to
pass along a corridor outside of the very hall where his Highness was snoring. Two ladies
in waiting looked down from an upper window. The young fellow perceived them, and
made signs to attract their attention. Having succeeded in this, he attempted, by all sorts
of antics and grimaces, to make them laugh or speak; but he failed, for the slumber-flag
waved over them, and its fear was upon them. Then, in a freak of incredible rashness, he
sang, in a loud voice, the first line of a popular ditty, and took to his heels.
No one had ever before dared to insult the sacred quiet. The Prince