Page:Mother goose's fairy tales (2).pdf/9

 hair with one hand, and lifting up his ſcymitar with the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor gentlewoman turning about to him, and looking at him with longing eyes, deſired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herſelf. "No, no, ſaid he, recommend thyſelf to God," and was juſt ready to ſtrike

--At this very inſtant there was ſuch a loud knocking at the gate, that Blue Beard made a ſudden ſtop. The gate was opened, and preſently entered two horſemen, who drawing their ſwords, ran directly to Blue Beard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a' dragoon, the other a muſqueteer, ſo that he ran away immediately to ſave himſelf; but the two brothers purſued ſo cloſe that they overtook him before he could get to the ſteps of the porch, when they ran their ſwords through his body, and left him dead.

The poor wife was almoſt as dead as her huſband, and had not ſtrength enough to riſe and welcome her brothers. Blue Beard had no heirs, and ſ his wife became miſtreſs of all his eſtate. She made uſe of one part of it to marry her ſiſter Anne to a young gentelman who had courted her a long while; another part to buy captains commiſſions for her brothers, and the reſt to marry herſelf to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time ſhe had paſſed with Blue Beard.  

HERE was a gentleman who married for his ſecond wife, the proudeſt and moſt haughty woman ever ſeen. She had by former huſband two daughters of her own, that were indeed exactly like her in all things. He had likewiſe, by another wife, a young daughter, but of unparalleled