11-beauty and beast-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


there　were　so　many。　By　this　time　it　was　growing　dusk；

and　wax　candles　in　diamond　and　ruby　candlesticks　were

beginning　to　light　themselves　in　every　room。



Beauty　found　her　supper　served　just　at　the　time　she

preferred　to　have　it；　but　she　did　not　see　anyone　or　hear

a　sound；　and；　though　her　father　had　warned　her　that　she

would　be　alone；　she　began　to　find　it　rather　dull。



But　presently　she　heard　the　Beast　coming；　and　wondered

tremblingly　if　he　meant　to　eat　her　up　now。



However；　as　he　did　not　seem　at　all　ferocious；　and　only

said　gruffly：



〃Good…evening；　Beauty；〃　she　answered　cheerfully　and

managed　to　conceal　her　terror。　Then　the　Beast　asked　her

how　she　had　been　amusing　herself；　and　she　told　him　all

the　rooms　she　had　seen。



Then　he　asked　if　she　thought　she　could　be　happy　in　his

palace；　and　Beauty　answered　that　everything　was　so

beautiful　that　she　would　be　very　hard　to　please　if　she

could　not　be　happy。　And　after　about　an　hour's　talk

Beauty　began　to　think　that　the　Beast　was　not　nearly　so

terrible　as　she　had　supposed　at　first。　Then　he　got　up　to

leave　her；　and　said　in　his　gruff　voice：



〃Do　you　love　me；　Beauty？　Will　you　marry　me？〃



〃Oh！　what　shall　I　say？〃　cried　Beauty；　for　she　was

afraid　to　make　the　Beast　angry　by　refusing。



〃Say　‘yes'　or　‘no'　without　fear；〃　he　replied。



〃Oh！　no；　Beast；〃　said　Beauty　hastily。



〃Since　you　will　not；　good…night；　Beauty；〃　he　said。



And　she　answered；　〃Good…night；　Beast；〃　very　glad　to

find　that　her　refusal　had　not　provoked　him。　And　after

he　was　gone　she　was　very　soon　in　bed　and　asleep；　and

dreaming　of　her　unknown　Prince。　She　thought　he　came

and　said　to　her：



〃Ah；　Beauty！　why　are　you　so　unkind　to　me？　I　fear　I

am　fated　to　be　unhappy　for　many　a　long　day　still。〃



And　then　her　dreams　changed；　but　the　charming　Prince

figured　in　them　all；　and　when　morning　came　her　first

thought　was　to　look　at　the　portrait；　and　see　if　it　was　really

like　him；　and　she　found　that　it　certainly　was。



This　morning　she　decided　to　amuse　herself　in　the　garden；

for　the　sun　shone；　and　all　the　fountains　were　playing；

but　she　was　astonished　to　find　that　every　place　was

familiar　to　her；　and　presently　she　came　to　the　brook　where

the　myrtle　trees　were　growing　where　she　had　first　met　the

Prince　in　her　dream；　and　that　made　her　think　more　than

ever　that　he　must　be　kept　a　prisoner　by　the　Beast。　When

she　was　tired　she　went　back　to　the　palace；　and　found　a

new　room　full　of　materials　for　every　kind　of　workribbons

to　make　into　bows；　and　silks　to　work　into　flowers。

Then　there　was　an　aviary　full　of　rare　birds；　which　were　so

tame　that　they　flew　to　Beauty　as　soon　as　they　saw　her；

and　perched　upon　her　shoulders　and　her　head。



〃Pretty　little　creatures；〃　she　said；　〃how　I　wish　that

your　cage　was　nearer　to　my　room；　that　I　might　often　hear

you　sing！



So　saying　she　opened　a　door；　and　found；　to　her　delight；

that　it　led　into　her　own　room；　though　she　had　thought　it

was　quite　the　other　side　of　the　palace。



There　were　more　birds　in　a　room　farther　on；　parrots

and　cockatoos　that　could　talk；　and　they　greeted　Beauty

by　name；　indeed；　she　found　them　so　entertaining　that　she

took　one　or　two　back　to　her　room；　and　they　talked　to　her

while　she　was　at　supper；　after　which　the　Beast　paid　her

his　usual　visit；　and　asked　her　the　same　questions　as　before；

and　then　with　a　gruff　〃good…night〃　he　took　his　departure；

and　Beauty　went　to　bed　to　dream　of　her　mysterious

Prince。　The　days　passed　swiftly　in　different

amusements；　and　after　a　while　Beauty　found　out　another

strange　thing　in　the　palace；　which　often　pleased　her　when

she　was　tired　of　being　alone。　There　was　one　room　which

she　had　not　noticed　particularly；　it　was　empty；　except

that　under　each　of　the　windows　stood　a　very　comfortable

chair；　and　the　first　time　she　had　looked　out　of　the　window

it　had　seemed　to　her　that　a　black　curtain　prevented　her

from　seeing　anything　outside。　But　the　second　time　she

went　into　the　room；　happening　to　be　tired；　she　sat　down

in　one　of　the　chairs；　when　instantly　the　curtain　was　rolled

aside；　and　a　most　amusing　pantomime　was　acted　before

her；　there　were　dances；　and　colored　lights；　and　music；　and

pretty　dresses；　and　it　was　all　so　gay　that　Beauty　was　in

ecstacies。　After　that　she　tried　the　other　seven　windows

in　turn；　and　there　was　some　new　and　surprising　entertainment

to　be　seen　from　each　of　them；　so　that　Beauty　never

could　feel　lonely　any　more。　Every　evening　after　supper

the　Beast　came　to　see　her；　and　always　before　saying

good…night　asked　her　in　his　terrible　voice：



〃Beauty；　will　you　marry　me？〃



And　it　seemed　to　Beauty；　now　she　understood　him

better；　that　when　she　said；　〃No；　Beast；〃　he　went　away

quite　sad。　But　her　happy　dreams　of　the　handsome　young

Prince　soon　made　her　forget　the　poor　Beast；　and　the　only

thing　that　at　all　disturbed　her　was　to　be　constantly　told

to　distrust　appearances；　to　let　her　heart　guide　her；　and

not　her　eyes；　and　many　other　equally　perplexing　things；

which；　consider　as　she　would；　she　could　not　understand。



So　everything　went　on　for　a　long　time；　until　at　last；

happy　as　she　was；　Beauty　began　to　long　for　the　sight　of

her　father　and　her　brothers　and　sisters；　and　one　night；

seeing　her　look　very　sad；　the　Beast　asked　her　what　was

the　matter。　Beauty　had　quite　ceased　to　be　afraid　of　him。

Now　she　knew　that　he　was　really　gentle　in　spite　of　his

ferocious　looks　and　his　dreadful　voice。　So　she　answered

that　she　was　longing　to　see　her　home　once　more。　Upon

hearing　this　the　Beast　seemed　sadly　distressed；　and　cried

miserably。



〃Ah！　Beauty；　have　you　the　heart　to　desert　an　unhappy

Beast　like　this？　What　more　do　you　want　to　make　you

happy？　Is　it　because　you　hate　me　that　you　want　to

escape？〃



〃No；　dear　Beast；〃　answered　Beauty　softly；　〃I　do　not

hate　you；　and　I　should　be　very　sorry　never　to　see　you　any

more；　but　I　long　to　see　my　father　again。　Only　let　me　go

for　two　months；　and　I　promise　to　come　back　to　you　and

stay　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃



The　Beast；　who　had　been　sighing　dolefully　while　she

spoke；　now　replied：



〃I　cannot　refuse　you　anything　you　ask；　even　though　it

should　cost　me　my　life。　Take　the　four　boxes　you　will　find

in　the　room　next　to　your　own；　and　fill　them　with　everything

you　wish　to　take　with　you。　But　remember　your

promise　and　come　back　when　the　two　months　are　over；

or　you　may　have　cause　to　repent　it；　for　if　you　do　not

come　in　good　time　you　will　find　your　faithful　Beast　dead。

You　will　not　need　any　chariot　to　bring　you　back。　Only

say　good…by　to　all　your　brothers　and　sisters　the　night

before　you　come　away；　and　when　you　have　gone　to　bed

turn　this　ring　round　upon　your　finger　and　say　firmly：　‘I

wish　to　go　back　to　my　palace　and　see　my　Beast　again。'

Good…night；　Beauty。　Fear　nothing；　sleep　peacefully；　and

before　long　you　shall　see　your　father　once　more。〃



As　soon　as　Beauty　was　alone　she　hastened　to　fill　the

boxes　with　all　the　rare　and　precious　things　she　saw　about

her；　and　only　when　she　was　tired　of　heaping　things　into

them　did　they　seem　to　be　full。



Then　she　went　to　bed；　but　could　hardly　sleep　for　joy。

And　when　at　last　she　did　begin　to　dream　of　her　beloved

Prince　she　was　grieved　to　see　him　stretched　upon　a　grassy

bank；　sad　and　weary；　and　hardly　like　himself。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　cried。



He　looked　at　her　reproachfully；　and　said：



〃How　can　you　ask　me；　cruel　one？　Are　you　not　leaving

me　to　my　death　perhaps？〃



〃Ah！　don't　be　so　sorrowful；〃　cried　Beauty；　〃I　am　only

going　to　assure　my　father　that　I　am　safe　and　happy。　I

have　promised　the　Beast　faithfully　that　I　will　come　back；

and　he　would　die　of　grief　if　I　did　not　keep　my　word！〃



〃What　would　that　matter　to　you？〃　said　the　Prince

〃Surely　you　would　not　care？〃



〃Indeed；　I　should　be　ungrateful　if　I　did　not　care　for

such　a　kind　Beast；〃　cried　Beauty　indignantly。　〃I　would

die　to　save　him　from　pain。　I　assure　you　it　is　not　his　fault

that　he　is　so　ugly。〃