ant that the Beast was coming. As he could do
nothing to escape his visit, the only thing that remained was to seem as
little afraid as possible; so when the Beast appeared and asked roughly if
he had supped well, the merchant answered humbly that he had, thanks to
his host's kindness. Then the Beast warned him to remember their
agreement, and to prepare his daughter exactly for what she had to expect.

"Do not get up to-morrow," he added, "until you see the sun and hear a
golden bell ring. Then you will find your breakfast waiting for you here,
and the horse you are to ride will be ready in the courtyard. He will also
bring you back again when you come with your daughter a month hence.
Farewell. Take a rose to Beauty, and remember your promise!"

The merchant was only too glad when the Beast went away, and though he
could not sleep for sadness, he lay down until the sun rose. Then, after a
hasty breakfast, he went to gather Beauty's rose, and mounted his horse,
which carried him off so swiftly that in an instant he had lost sight of
the palace, and he was still wrapped in gloomy thoughts when it stopped
before the door of the cottage.

His sons and daughters, who had been very uneasy at his long absence,
rushed to meet him, eager to know the result of his journey, which, seeing
him mounted upon a splendid horse and wrapped in a rich mantle, they
supposed to be favorable. But he hid the truth from them at first, only
saying sadly to Beauty as he gave her the rose:

"Here is what you asked me to bring you; you little know what it has
cost."

But this excited their curiosity so greatly that presently he told them
his adventures from beginning to end, and then they were all very unhappy.
The girls lamented loudly over their lost hopes, and the sons declared
that their father should not return to this terrible castle, and began to
make plans for killing the Beast if it should come to fetch him. But he
reminded them that he had promised to go back. Then the girls were very
angry with Beauty, and said it was all her fault, and that if she had
asked for something sensible this would never have happened, and
complained bitterly that they should have to suffer for her folly.

Poor Beauty, much distressed, said to them:

"I have indeed caused this misfortune, but I assure you I did it
innocently. Who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of
summer would cause so much misery? But as I did the mischief it is