months in the palace quietly enough. Every evening
the Beast paid her a visit, and entertained her at supper by a display
of much good sense, if not with what the world calls wit. And every day
Beauty was made aware of fresh kindnesses on the part of the monster.
Through seeing him often she had become accustomed to his ugliness, and
far from dreading the moment of his visit, she frequently looked at her
watch to see if it was nine o'clock, the hour when the Beast always
appeared.

One thing alone troubled Beauty; every evening, before retiring to bed,
the monster asked her if she would be his wife, and seemed overwhelmed
with grief when she refused. One day she said to him:

'You distress me, Beast. I wish I could marry you, but I cannot deceive
you by allowing you to believe that that can ever be. I will always be
your friend--be content with that.'

'Needs must,' said the Beast. 'But let me make the position plain. I
know I am very terrible, but I love you very much, and I shall be very
happy if you will only remain here. Promise that you will never leave
me.'

Beauty blushed at these words. She had seen in her mirror that her
father was stricken down by the sorrow of having lost her, and she
wished very much to see him again. 'I would willingly promise to remain
with you always,' she said to the Beast, 'but I have so great a desire
to see my father again that I shall die of grief if you refuse me this
boon.'

'I would rather die myself than cause you grief,' said the monster. 'I
will send you back to your father. You shall stay with him, and your
Beast shall die of sorrow at your departure.'

'No, no,' said Beauty, crying; 'I like you too much to wish to cause
your death. I promise you I will return in eight days. You have shown me
that my sisters are married, and that my brothers have joined the army.
My father is all alone; let me stay with him one week.'

'You shall be with him to-morrow morning,' said the Beast. 'But remember
your promise. All you have to do when you want to return is to put your
ring on a table when you are going to bed. Good-bye, Beauty!'

As usual, the Beast sighed when he said these last words, and Beauty
went to bed quite down-hearted at having grieved him.

[Illustration: "EVERY EVENING THE BEAST PAID HER A VISIT."]

When she woke the next morning she found she was in her father's house.
She rang a little bell which stood by the side of her bed, and it was
answered by their se