King's victories, he
received the honor of knighthood. Sir Richard Whittington supported many
poor; he built a church, and also a college, with a yearly allowance to
poor scholars, and near it raised a hospital. The figure of Sir Richard
Whittington, with his cat in his arms, carved in stone, was to be seen
till the year 1780, over the archway of the old prison of Newgate, that
stood across Newgate Street.

THE STORY OF BLUE BEARD

[Illustration]

Many years ago there was a rich man who had a singular blue beard, which
made him very ugly. Being left a widower, he wished to marry one of the
two beautiful daughters of a neighboring lady, and at last the younger
of these girls consented to be his wife.

About a month after the marriage, Blue Beard told his bride that he must
leave her for a time, as he had some business to attend to at a
distance. He gave her his keys, and told her to make free of everything
and entertain her friends while he was absent, but ending by drawing
one key from the bunch and saying:

"This small key belongs to the room at the end of the long gallery--and
that, my dear, is the one room you must not enter, nor even put the key
into the lock. Should you disobey, your punishment would be dreadful."

[Illustration]

Blue Beard set out on his journey, and for a time his wife found
pleasure in showing her friends all her magnificence; but again and
again she wondered what could be the reason why she was not to visit the
room at the end of the long gallery. At last her curiosity became such
that she could not resist the temptation to take just one peep within
the forbidden door. When she reached the door she stopped for a few
moments to think of her husband's warning, that he would not fail to
keep his word should she disobey him. But she was so very curious to
know what was inside, that she determined to venture in spite of
everything.

So, with a trembling hand, she put the key into the lock, and the door
immediately opened. The window shutters being closed, she at first saw
nothing; but in a short time she noticed that the floor was covered with
clotted blood, on which the bodies of several dead women were lying.
(These were all the wives whom Blue Beard had married, and murdered one
after another!) She was ready to sink with fear, and the key of the
door, which she held in her hand, fell on the floor. When she had
somewhat recovered from her fright, she took it up, locked the door