al wives, and no one knew what
had become of them.

In order that they might become better acquainted, Blue Beard invited
the two girls, with their mother and three or four of their best
friends, to meet a party of young men from the neighbourhood at one of
his country houses. Here they spent eight whole days, and throughout
their stay there was a constant round of picnics, hunting and fishing
expeditions, dances, dinners, and luncheons; and they never slept at
all, through spending all the night in playing merry pranks upon each
other. In short, everything went so gaily that the younger daughter
began to think the master of the house had not so very blue a beard
after all, and that he was an exceedingly agreeable man. As soon as the
party returned to town their marriage took place.

At the end of a month Blue Beard informed his wife that important
business obliged him to make a journey into a distant part of the
country, which would occupy at least six weeks. He begged her to amuse
herself well during his absence, and suggested that she should invite
some of her friends and take them, if she liked, to the country. He was
particularly anxious that she should enjoy herself thoroughly.

'Here,' he said, 'are the keys of the two large storerooms, and here is
the one that locks up the gold and silver plate which is not in everyday
use. This key belongs to the strong-boxes where my gold and silver is
kept, this to the caskets containing my jewels; while here you have the
master-key which gives admittance to all the apartments. As regards this
little key, it is the key of the small room at the end of the long
passage on the lower floor. You may open everything, you may go
everywhere, but I forbid you to enter this little room. And I forbid you
so seriously that if you were indeed to open the door, I should be so
angry that I might do anything.'

She promised to follow out these instructions exactly, and after
embracing her, Blue Beard steps into his coach and is off upon his
journey.

[Illustration: _Blue Beard_]

Her neighbours and friends did not wait to be invited before coming to
call upon the young bride, so great was their eagerness to see the
splendours of her house. They had not dared to venture while her
husband was there, for his blue beard frightened them. But in less than
no time there they were, running in and out of the rooms, the closets,
and the wardrobes, each of which was finer than the last. Presentl