“Ah! my dear child,” said the merchant, kissing his daughter, “I am half dead already, at the thoughts of leaving you with this dreadful beast; you had better go back, and let me stay in your place.”  “No,” said Beauty boldly, “I will never agree to that; you must go home to-morrow morning.”  They then wished each other good night, and went to bed, both of them thinking they should not be able to close their eyes; but as soon as ever they had laid down, they fell into a deep sleep, and did not wake till morning.  Beauty dreamed that a lady came up to her, who said, “I am very much pleased, Beauty, with the goodness you have shown, in being willing to give your life to save that of your father; and it shall not go without a reward.”  As soon as Beauty awoke, she told her father this dream; but though it gave him some comfort, he could not take leave of his darling child without shedding many tears.  When the merchant got out of sight, Beauty sat down in the large hall, and began to cry also; yet she had a great deal of courage, and so she soon resolved not to make her sad case still worse by sorrow, which she knew could not be of any use to her, but to wait as well as she could till night, when she thought the beast would not fail to come and eat her up.  She walked about to take a view of all the palace, and the beauty of every part of it much charmed her.

But what was her surprise, when she came to a door on which was written, Beauty’s room!  She opened it in haste, and her eyes were all at once dazzled at the grandeur of the inside of the room.  What made her wonder more than all the rest was a large library filled with books, a harpsichord, and many other pieces of music.  “The beast takes care I shall not be at a loss how to amuse myself,” said she.  She then thought that it was not likely such things would have been got ready for her, if she had but one day to live; and began to hope all would not turn out so bad as she and her father had feared.  She opened the library, and saw these verses written in letters of gold on the back of one of the books: 

  “Beauteous lady, dry your tears,
   Here’s no cause for sighs or fears;
   Command as freely as you may,
   Enjoyment still shall mark your sway.”

“Alas!” said she, sighing, “there is nothing I so much desire as to see my poor father and to know what he is doing at this moment,” She said this to herself; but just then by chance, she cast her eyes on a looking-glass that stood near her, and in the glass she saw her home, and her father riding up to the cottage in the deepest sorrow.  Her sisters came out to meet him, but for all they tried to look sorry, it was easy to see that in their hearts they were very glad.  In a short time all this picture went away out of the glass:  but Beauty began to think that the beast was very kind to her, and that she had no need to be afraid of him.  About the middle of the day, she found a table laid ready for her; and a sweet concert of music played