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第2章 迷信，还是心里没底？

"Now," said the Fairy to Beauty, "I suppose you would likeme to send for all your brothers and sisters to dance at yourwedding?"

window it had seemed to her that a black curtain prevented herfrom seeing anything outside. But the second time she wentinto the room, happening to be tired, she sat down in one of thechairs, when instantly the curtain was rolled aside, and a mostamusing pantomime was acted before her; there were dances andcolored lights, and music, and pretty dresses, and it was all sogay that Beauty was in ecstacies. After that she tried the otherseven windows in turn, and there was some new and surprisingentertainment to be seen from each of them, so that Beauty nevercould feel lonely any more. Every evening after supper the Beastcame to see her, and always before saying good-night asked herin his terrible voice:

ordered with trees, and lamenting her sad fate, when ayoung prince, handsomer than anyone she had ever seen, andwith a voice that went straight to her heart, came and said to her,"Ah, Beauty! you are not so unfortunate as you suppose. Here

"No, dear Beast," answered Beauty softly, "I do not hate you,and I should be very sorry never to see you any more, but I longto see my father again. Only let me go for two months, and I

"Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?" said theBeast faintly. "Ah! Beauty, you only came just in time. I wasdying because I thought you had forgotten your promise. But goback now and rest, I shall see you again by-and-by."

"Oh! he is dead; and it is all my fault," said Beauty, crying

"Beauty, will you marry me?" she answered softly:

"I will forgive you on one condition--that is, that you will giveme one of your daughters."

The first she entered was lined with mirrors, and Beauty sawherself reflected on every side, and thought she had never seensuch a charming room. Then a bracelet which was hanging froma chandelier caught her eye, and on taking it down she wasgreatly surprised to find that it held a portrait of her unknownadmirer, just as she had seen him in her dream. With great delightshe slipped the bracelet on her arm, and went on into a gallery ofpictures, where she soon found a portrait of the same handsomePrince, as large as life, and so well painted that as she studied ithe seemed to smile kindly at her. Tearing herself away from theportrait at last, she passed through into a room which containedevery musical instrument under the sun, and here she amusedherself for a long while in trying some of them, and singinguntil she was tired. The next room was a library, and she saweverything she had ever wanted to read, as well as everythingshe had read, and it seemed to her that a whole lifetim