"

"I see two horsemen coming this way," she replied, "but they are still a
great distance off. Heaven be praised!" she exclaimed a moment
afterwards. "They are my brothers! I am making all the signs I can to
hasten them."

[Illustration: _"Your tears are useless" said Bluebeard, "you must
die!"_ _Bluebeard._]

Blue Beard began to roar so loudly that the whole house shook again. The
poor wife went down and threw herself at his feet with weeping eyes and
dishevelled hair. "It is of no use," said Blue Beard; "you must die!"
Then, taking her by the hair with one hand, and raising the cutlass with
the other, he was about to cut off her head.

The poor wife, turning towards him her dying eyes, begged him to give
her one short moment to collect herself. "No, no," said he; "commend
yourself to heaven," and, lifting his arm.... At this moment there was
such a loud knocking at the gate that Blue Beard stopped short. It was
opened, and two horsemen were immediately seen to enter, who, drawing
their swords, ran straight at Blue Beard. He recognised them as the
brothers of his wife, one a dragoon, the other a musketeer, and he
therefore fled at once, hoping to escape; but they pursued him so
closely that they overtook him before he could reach the steps to his
door, and, running their swords through his body, left him dead on the
spot. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not
strength to rise and embrace her brothers.

It was found that Blue Beard had left no heirs, and so his widow came
into possession of all his property. She employed part of it in marrying
her Sister Anne to a man who had long loved her; another part in buying
captains' commissions for her two brothers; and with the remainder she
married herself to a very worthy man, who made her forget the dreadful
time she had passed with Blue Beard.

Provided one has common sense,
And of the world but knows the ways,
This story bears the evidence
Of being one of bygone days.
No husband now is so terrific,
Impossibilities expecting:
Though jealous, he is still pacific,
Indifference to his wife affecting.
And of his beard, whate'er the hue,
His spouse need fear no such disaster;
Indeed, 'twould often puzzle you
To say which of the twain is master.

MASTER CAT; OR, PUSS IN BOOTS

A miller bequeathed to his three sons all he possessed of worldly goods,
which consisted only of his Mill, his