and found there heaps of gold pieces lying about. He
filled the chest with them to the very brim, locked it, and, mounting
his horse, left the palace as sorrowful as he had been glad when he
first beheld it. The horse took a path across the forest of his own
accord, and in a few hours they reached the merchant's house. His
children came running round him, but, instead of kissing them with
joy, he could not help weeping as he looked at them. He held in his
hand the bunch of roses, which he gave to Beauty saying, "Take these
roses, Beauty; but little do you think how dear they have cost your
poor father;" and then he gave them an account of all that he had seen
or heard in the palace of the beast.

The two eldest sisters now began to shed tears, and to lay the blame
upon Beauty, who, they said, would be the cause of her father's death.
"See," said they, "what happens from the pride of the little wretch;
why did not she ask for such things as we did? But, to be sure, Miss
must not be like other people; and though she will be the cause of her
father's death, yet she does not shed a tear."

"It would be useless," replied Beauty, "for my father shall not die.
As the beast will accept of one of his daughters, I will give myself
up, and be only too happy to prove my love for the best of fathers."

"No, sister," said the three brothers with one voice, "that cannot be;
we will go in search of this monster, and either he or we will
perish."

"Do not hope to kill him," said the merchant, "his power is far too
great. But Beauty's young life shall not be sacrificed: I am old, and
cannot expect to live much longer; so I shall but give up a few years
of my life, and shall only grieve for the sake of my children."

"Never, father!" cried Beauty: "If you go back to the palace, you
cannot hinder my going after you; though young, I am not over-fond of
life; and I would much rather be eaten up by the monster, than die of
grief for your loss."

The merchant in vain tried to reason with Beauty, who still
obstinately kept to her purpose; which, in truth, made her two sisters
glad, for they were jealous of her, because everybody loved her.

The merchant was so grieved at the thoughts of losing his child, that
he never once thought of the chest filled with gold, but at night, to
his great surprise, he found it standing by his bedside. He said
nothing about his riches to his eldest daughters, for he knew very
well it would at once make th