er key to all the apartments in my
house--but this small key belongs to the closet at the end of the long
gallery on the ground floor. I give you leave," continued he, "to open
or do what you like with all the rest excepting this closet: this, my
dear, you must not enter, nor even put the key into the lock, for all
the world. Should you disobey me, expect the most dreadful of
punishments."

She promised to obey his orders in the most faithful manner; and Blue
Beard, after tenderly embracing her, stepped into his carriage and drove
away.

The friends of the bride did not, on this occasion, wait to be invited,
so impatient were they to see all the riches and magnificence she had
gained by marriage, for they had been prevented from paying their
wedding visit by their aversion to the blue beard of the bridegroom.

No sooner were they arrived than they impatiently ran from room to room,
from cabinet to cabinet, and then from wardrobe to wardrobe, examining
each with the utmost curiosity, and declaring that the last was still
richer and more beautiful than what they had seen the moment before. At
length they came to the drawing-rooms, where their admiration and
astonishment were still increased by the costly splendour of the
hangings, of the sofas, the chairs, carpets, tables, girandoles, and
looking-glasses, the frames of which were silver gilt, most richly
ornamented, and in which they saw themselves from head to foot.

In short, nothing could exceed the magnificence of what they saw; and
the visitors did not cease to extol and envy the good fortune of their
friend, who all this time was far from being amused by the fine
compliments they paid her, so eagerly did she desire to see what was in
the closet her husband had forbidden her to open. So great indeed was
her curiosity, that, without recollecting how uncivil it would be to
leave her guests, she descended a private staircase that led to it, and
in such a hurry, that she was two or three times in danger of breaking
her neck.

When she reached the door of the closet, she stopped for a few moments
to think of the charge her husband had given her, and that he would not
fail to keep his word in punishing her very severely, should she
disobey him. But she was so very curious to know what was in the inside,
that she determined to venture in spite of everything.

She, accordingly, with a trembling hand, put the key into the lock, and
the door immediately opened. The wind