agreed to muster their men, and to set off immediately for the father, and bring Fatima away: or, if Blue Beard had already got her, to force her from him, who by now had arrived at his Castle. Sure nothing could equal the rejoicings made to welcome her.—Blue Beard conducted her to a fine seat in a magnificent garden, where refreshments were placed and some of the females were ordered to dance to entertain her; but for all this she was still melancholy; as to her father he was as merry as a grig, pulling about the women, and driving about the men; and Irene would have been merry could she have seen her sister so. Blue Beard having a mind to leave her a little to herself, pretended he had business of the utmost importance to transact, told her he must leave her till the evening, giving her at the same time the keys of all the apartments of the Castle, telling her, as she was mistress of the place to go freely into any of them, except that room, the door of which was in the Blue Chamber; and of which this key, set with diamonds, opens the lock; upon your life don't go into that chamber, giving Fatima the keys; and then with a look that frightened her sadly, left her; as soon as he was gone, Irene cried, 'now is not that kind of him to give you the keys to go where you please?' 'No, my dear sister,' said Fatima, 'I had much rather he had kept them; you find I am forbid going into one room, did not you hear him say, my life depended on it.'

'I don't think anything of that,' said Irene, I long to see that chamber in particular; come don't mope so, if you had not seen Selim first, you might be very happy, for setting aside his beard I don't think Abomelique so very ugly; now as he won't be at home till evening, pray do let us go over the Castle, I long to have a rummage.' It was a long while before Irene could persuade her sister to go; however she agreed at length, and away they went; it would tire your patience if I told you all the fine things they saw, in one of the rooms there was a fine guitar hanging up, which Fatima took down, and began playing upon to divert her melancholy.

Irene would not let her sister play upon it long, for she was impatient to see the rest of the chambers, when at length they arrived at the blue one, this was the grandest of all, it was lined with looking glasses, ornamented with fine blue enamelled frames; here you might see yourself from head to foot; the mantle piece was supported by pillars of the finest blue china; and though it was called the Blue Chamber, it might as well have been called the Golden one as the floor was lined with it, two glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling by chains of gold. In short, nothing was wanting to make this the finest room that ever was seen: in the middle of this chamber stood the door of that they were forbid to enter: 'well, sister Fatima,' says Irene, 'I am quite delighted with this place, I should like to see the next chamber vastly, I dare say it must be finer still; come, what say you to it, shall we look at it? there is nobody here to see us, and you know we need not tell of ourselves.'

'Dear sister,' said Fatima, 'pray don't ask me, I dread the thought of it, let us be satisfied with what we have seen, and return; indeed I begin to be tired with the ramble we have had;' 'well, my dear sister, said Irene, 'we may not have such another opportunity a great while, if you wont go in, let us just open the door, and only look in, sure there can be no great harm in that.' 'I could like to please you,' says Fatima, 'but I am sadly afraid;' 'Pho!' cried Irene, 'don't be afraid before you are hurt; come, fear nothing.' Fatima, to please her, took the key all sparkling with diamonds, and put it to the lock,