four of their most intimate friends,
and some other young people who resided in the neighbourhood, to one of
his country seats, where they spent an entire week. Nothing was thought
of but excursions, hunting and fishing-parties, balls, entertainments,
suppers; nobody went to bed; the whole night was passed in games and
playing merry tricks on one another. In short, all went off so well,
that the youngest daughter began to think that the beard of the master
of the house was not so blue as it used to be, and that he was a very
worthy man. Immediately upon their return to town the marriage took
place.

At the end of a month, Blue Beard told his wife that he was obliged to
take a journey, which would keep him away from home for six weeks at
least, as he had business of great importance to attend to. He begged
her to amuse herself as well as she could during his absence, to invite
her best friends, and, if she liked, take them into the country, and
wherever she was, to have the best of everything for the table.

"Here," said he to her, "are the keys of my two large store-rooms; these
are those of the chests in which the gold and silver plate, not in
general use, is kept; these are the keys of the strong boxes in which I
keep my money; these open the caskets that contain my jewels, and this
is the master-key of all the rooms. As for this little key, it is that
of the closet at the end of the long gallery on the ground floor. Open
everything, and go everywhere except into that little closet, which I
forbid you to enter, and I forbid you so strictly, that if you should
venture to open the door, there is nothing that you may not have to
dread from my anger!" She promised to obey his orders to the letter,
and, after having embraced her, he got into his coach and set out on his
journey.

The friends and neighbours of the young bride did not wait for her
invitation, so eager were they to see all the rich treasures in the
house, and not having ventured to visit her while her husband was at
home, so frightened were they at his blue beard. They were soon to be
seen running through all the rooms, and into the closets and wardrobes,
each one more beautiful and splendid than the last. Then they went
upstairs to the store-rooms; there they could not sufficiently express
their admiration at the number and beauty of the hangings, the beds, the
sofas, the cabinets, the elegant little stands, the tables, the mirrors
in which they could see