"It is of no use," said Blue Beard. "You must die!" Then seizing her by the hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the other, he was about to cut off her head. The poor wife turned towards him, and fixing upon him her dying eyes, implored him to allow her one short moment to collect herself. "No, no," said he; "recommend thyself heartily to Heaven." And lifting his arm----At this moment there was so loud a knocking at the gate, that Blue Beard stopped short. It was opened, and two horsemen were immediately seen to enter, who, drawing their swords, ran straight at Blue Beard. He recognized them as the brothers of his wife--one a dragoon, the other a musqueteer, and, consequently, fled immediately, in hope to escape; but they pursued him so closely, that they overtook him before he could reach the step of his door, and, passing their swords through his body, left him dead on the spot. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength to rise and embrace her brothers. [Illustration: Death of Blue-Beard] It was found that Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his widow remained possessed of all his property. She employed part of it in marrying her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had long loved her; another part, in buying captains' commissions for her two brothers, and with the rest she married herself to a very worthy man, who made her forget the miserable time she had passed with Blue Beard. Provided one has common sense, And of the world but knows the ways, This story bears the evidence Of being one of bygone-days. No husband now is so terrific, Impossibilities expecting: Though jealous, he is still pacific, Indifference to his wife affecting. And of his beard, whate'er the hue, His spouse need fear no such disaster; Indeed, 'twould often puzzle you To say which of the twain is master. [Illustration: decoration] RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNGAY. FOOTNOTES: [1] Gueridons, _i. e._ stands to place lights or china upon. The word is now used to signify any small round table with one foot; but the old-fashioned stand, which was higher than a table, and its top not bigger than a dessert-plate, is occasionally to be met with. [2] Looking-glasses with frames of the same material were much in vogue at that period. Of silver-framed mirrors some magnificent specimens remain to us at Knowle Park, Kent. End of Project Gutenberg's The Story of Blue-Beard, by Charles Perrault