ladies you saw there."

His wife, almost dead with fear, fell upon her knees, asked his pardon a
thousand times for her disobedience, and entreated him to forgive her,
looking all the time so very sorrowful and lovely, that she would have
melted any heart that was not harder than a rock.

But Blue Beard answered, "No, no, madam; you shall die this very
minute!"

"Alas!" said the poor trembling creature, "if I must die, allow me, at
least, a little time to say my prayers."

"I give you," replied the cruel Blue Beard, "half a quarter of an hour;
not one moment longer." When Blue Beard had left her to herself, she
called her sister; and after telling her, as well as she could for
sobbing, that she had but half a quarter of an hour to live: "Pr'ythee,"
said she, "sister Ann" (this was her sister's name), "run up to the top
of the tower, and see if my brothers are yet in sight, for they promised
to come and visit me to-day; and if you see them make a sign for them to
gallop as fast as possible."

Her sister instantly did as she was desired, and the terrified lady
every minute called out to her, "Ann! sister Ann! do you see any one
coming?"

And her sister answered, "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust,
and the grass which looks green."

In the meantime, Blue Beard, with a great scimitar in his hand, bawled
as loud as he could to his wife, "Come down instantly, or I will fetch
you."

"One moment longer, I beseech you," replied she; and again called softly
to her sister, "Sister Ann, do you see any one coming?"

To which she answered, "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust,
and the grass which looks green."

Blue Beard now again bawled out, "Come down, I say, this very moment, or
I shall come and fetch you."

"I am coming; indeed, I will come in one minute," sobbed his unhappy
wife. Then she once more cried out, "Ann! sister Ann! do you see any one
coming?"

"I see," said her sister, "a cloud of dust a little to the left."

"Do you think it is my brothers?" continued the wife.

"Alas! no, dear sister," replied she; "it is only a flock of sheep."

"Will you come down or not, madam?" cried Blue Beard, in the greatest
rage imaginable. "Only one single moment more," answered she. And then
she called out for the last time, "Sister Ann! do you see any one
coming?"

"I see," replied her sister, "two men on horseback coming to the house:
but they are still at a great distance."

"God be praise