BEAUTY ‘Say exactly what you think,’ he replied.
AND THE ‘Oh! no, Beast!’ said Beauty, hastily.

BEAST ‘Since you will not—good-night, Beauty,’ he said;
and she responded: ‘good-night, Beast.’
When she was asleep she again dreamed of the
mysterious Prince.
Next day she found a room in which were silks
and canvas and needles, and all sorts of articles
for embroidery.
Then she entered an aviary full of beautiful birds,
which were so tame that they flew to Beauty as
soon as they saw her, and perched on her shoulder
and hands.
The day passed a little more heavily than the last,
and Beauty began to long for some one to talk to,
and even was pleased when at supper she heard
the tramp, tramp! stump, stump! of the Beast
coming along the passages.
She now put a chair on the side of the table op-
posite her, and when the Beast said, ‘May I sit
down and eat with you, Beauty?’ she answered,
‘Oh! please do, Beast!’
That night she dreamed of the Prince again, and
he smiled at her and looked pleased.
Next day she walked in the woods, and she saw
deer there, fleet and graceful; and she came on
fish-ponds in which were gold and silver fish. She
went to the music-room and tried to play and sing,
but became tired of her loneliness, and wished
greatly for supper, when the Beast would appear
and she could talk with him, and hear him talk.
When day declined, and the palace was lighted up
for supper, then she waited impatiently for the
tramp, tramp! stump, stump! and when the Beast
came in she ran to meet him, dropped a courtesy,
and said, ‘Please, Beast, can you play and sing?’
‘Yes, Beauty.’
‘Would you play and sing with me, sometimes?’
she asked.

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