After having somewhat recovered her senses, she took up the key, locked the door, and went up stairs into her chamber 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 off; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand, the blood still remained, for the key was a Fairy, and she could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other. Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said, he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return. Next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand, that he easily guessed what had happened. "What," said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?" "I must certainly," answered she, "have left it above upon the table." "Fail not," said Blue Beard, "to bring it me presently." After putting him off several times, she was forced to bring him the key. Blue Beard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife: "How comes this blood upon the key?" "I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death. "You do not know," replied Blue Beard; "I very well know, you were resolved to go into the closet, were you not? Mighty well, Madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there." Upon this she threw herself at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon with all the signs of a true repentance for her disobedience. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Blue Beard had a heart harder than any rock. "You must die, Madam," said he, "and that presently." "Since I must die," answered she, looking upon him with her eyes all bathed in tears, "give me some little time to say my prayers." "I give you," replied Blue Beard, "half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more." * * * * * When she was alone, she called out to her sister, and said to her: "Sister Anne" (for that was her name), "go up I beg you, upon the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming; they promised me that they would come to-day, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste." Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted wife cried out from time to time, "Anne, sister Anne, do you see any one coming?" And sister Anne said: "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass growing green." In the mean while Blue Beard, holding a great scimitar in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife: "Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you." "One moment longer, if you please," said his wife, and then she cried out very softly: