6 FAIRY TALES.
in which you might see yourself from head to foot; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent were ever seen. They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who, in the mean time, no way diverted herself in looking upon these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet of the ground floor. She was so much pressed by her curiosity, that without considering the uncivility of leaving her company, she went down a little back stair case, and with such excessive haste, that she had twice or thrice like to have broke her neck.
Being come to the closet door she made a stop for some time, thinking upon her husband’s orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she disobeyed; but the temptation was so strong she could not overcome it: She took then the little key, and opened it trembling: but could not at first see any thing plainly, because the windows were shut. In some moments she began to perceive that the floor was all covered with clotted blood, on which lay the bodies of several dead women ranged against the walls, (These were all the wives whom Blue Beard had married and murdered one after another.) She thought she would have died for fear: and the key which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key, locked the door, and went up stairs to recover herself; but she could not, so much was she frightened. Having observed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the blood would not come out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand, the blood still remained, for this key was a Fairy, and she could never make it
