Page 109 - Beauty and the Beast

and gratitude. At all events I must not make him
miserable, or I shall reproach myself all my life.'
With these words Beauty rose and placed her
ring on the table.
Hardly had she returned to her bed than she
was asleep, and when she woke the next morning
she saw with joy that she was in the Beast's
palace. She dressed in her very best on purpose to
please him, and nearly died of impatience all day,
waiting for nine o'clock in the evening. But the
clock struck in vain: no Beast appeared. Beauty
now thought she must have caused his death, and
rushed about the palace with loud despairing
cries. She looked everywhere, and at last,
recalling her dream, dashed into the garden by
the canal, where she had seen him in her sleep.
There she found the poor Beast lying
_________
109