Beauty and the Beast | Page 6

to see him again. "I could, (answered she), indeed promise
never to leave you entirely, but I have so great a desire to see my father,
that I shall fret to death, if you refuse me that satisfaction." "I had
rather die myself, (said the monster,) than give you the least uneasiness:
I will send you to your father, you shall remain with him, and poor
Beast will die with grief." "No, (said Beauty, weeping,) I love you too
well to be the cause of your death: I give you my promise to return in a
week: you have shewn me that my sisters are married, and my brothers
gone to the army; only let me stay a week with my father, as he is

alone." "You shall be there tomorrow morning, (said the Beast,) but
remember your promise: you need only lay your ring on the table
before you go to bed, when you have a mind to come back: farewell,
Beauty." Beast sighed as usual, bidding her good night; and Beauty
went to bed very sad at seeing him so afflicted. When she waked the
next morning, she found herself at her father's, and having rang a little
bell, that was by her bed-side, she saw the maid come; who, the
moment she saw her, gave a loud shriek; at which the good man ran up
stairs, and thought he should have died with joy to see his dear
daughter again. He held her fast locked in his arms above a quarter of
an hour. As soon as the first transports were over, Beauty began to
think of rising, and was afraid she had no clothes to put on; but the
maid told her, that she had just found, in the next room, a large trunk
full of gowns, covered with gold and diamonds. Beauty thanked good
Beast for his kind care, and taking one of the plainest of them, she
intended to make a present of the others to her sisters. She scarce had
said so, when the trunk disappeared. Her father told her, that Beast
insisted on her keeping them herself; and immediately both gowns and
trunk came back again.
[Illustration: Beauty at Supper with the Beast]
Beauty dressed herself; and in the mean time they sent to her sisters,
who hasted thither with their husbands. They were both of them very
unhappy. The eldest had married a gentleman, extremely handsome
indeed, but so fond of his own person, that he was full of nothing but
his own dear self, and neglected his wife. The second had married a
man of wit, but he only made use of it to plague and torment every
body, and his wife most of all. Beauty's sisters sickened with envy,
when they saw her dressed like a Princess, and more beautiful than ever;
nor could all her obliging affectionate behaviour stifle their jealousy,
which was ready to burst when she told them how happy she was. They
went down into the garden to vent it in tears; and said one to the other,
"In what is this little creature better than us, that she should be so much
happier?" "Sister, said the eldest, a thought just strikes my mind; let us
endeavour to detain her above a week, and perhaps the silly monster
will be so enraged at her for breaking her word, that he will devour
her." "Right, sister, answered the other, therefore we must shew her as
much kindness as possible." After they had taken this resolution, they

went up, and behaved so affectionately to their sister, that poor Beauty
wept for joy. When the week was expired, they cried and tore their hair,
and seemed so sorry to part with her, that she promised to stay a week
longer.
In the mean time, Beauty could not help reflecting on herself for the
uneasiness she was likely to cause poor Beast, whom she sincerely
loved, and really longed to see again. The tenth night she spent at her
father's, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw
Beast extended on the grass-plot, who seemed just expiring, and, in a
dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude. Beauty started out of
her sleep and bursting into tears, "Am not I very wicked, (said she) to
act so unkindly to Beast, that has studied so much to please me in every
thing? Is it his fault that he is so ugly, and has so little sense? He is kind
and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I
should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their
husbands; it is neither wit nor a fine person in a husband, that makes a
woman happy; but virtue, sweetness of temper, and