"While I am absent, my dear," said he, "invite your relations and
friends and enjoy yourself just as you please in entertaining them.
See here are my keys, the keys of the rooms and of the chests where I
keep my money, my gold and silver plate, and my jewels. Unlock rooms
and chests and use freely what you will."
[Illustration]
"This small key," he added, pointing to quite a little one, "is the
key of the door at the end of the lower landing, you will not need to
use this at all. In fact, should you open that door, or even put this
key into the lock, I should be dreadfully angry, indeed I should make
you suffer for it in a terrible way."
Then Bluebeard bid his wife good-bye, and departed.
As soon as Mrs. Bluebeard's friends and relations knew that her
husband was away, they came flocking to visit her, for they longed to
see all her splendid possessions, but had feared to come before.
They could not enough admire the magnificent apartments, and ran from
one to another praising everything they beheld.
But the young wife heeded nothing they said or did, all she thought
of was that little key which she must not use, wondering more and more
why she ought not to open that one particular door.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125