Page:Story of Blue Beard, or, The effects of female curiosity.pdf/5

 taken place, Blue Beard told his wife that he should be obliged to leave her for a few weeks, as he had some business to do in the country. He desired her to he sure to procure herself every kind of amusement; to invite as many of her friends as she liked, and to treat them with all sorts of delicacies, that the time might pass agreeably during his absence. “Here,” said he, "are the keys of the two large wardrobes. This is the key of the great box that contains the best plate, which we use for company: this belongs to my strong box, where I keep my money; and this to the casket in which are all my jewels. Here also is a master key to all the apartments in my house:--but this small key belongs to the closet at the end of the long gallery on the ground floor. I give you leave," continued he, "to open or do what you like with all the rest excepting this closet: this, my dear, you must not enter, nor even put the key into the lock, for all the world. Should you disobey me, expect the most dreadful of punishments."

She promised to obey his orders in the most faithful manner; and Blue Beard, after tenderly embracing her, stepped into his carriage and drove away.

The friends of the bridle did not, on this occasion, wait to he invited, so impatient were they to see all the riches and magnificence