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every sort of entertainment that can amuse you during my absence. Here are all the keys of the castle; you may therefore examine the different apartments which you have not seen; and I hope you will find some that will surprise and please you as well as those with which you are already acquainted. I must however most earnestly caution and require you not to open the blue closet at the end of the gallery; and although I leave the key of it with you, yet I trust you will have the prudence to fulfil my wishes in this particular. Remember this, as you value my love and your own life and happiness."
Fatima promised that she would obey his desire. She thanked her husband for his kind attention to her comforts; and again promised that she would not disappoint the confidence he had placed in her, but would carefully abstain from examining the particular apartment he had named.
Blue Beard set off upon his journey; and Fatima having informed her sister of every thing that had passed in their late conversation, they agreed to invite their relatives and friends to an entertainment the next day; but more particularly their two brothers, who, having been absent from home as military officers, had not yet seen their sister's magnificent residence.
Having arranged every thing for their intended party, Fatima proposed that they should see the apartments of which she now had the keys. They accordingly proceeded to that part of the extensive castle which they had not as yet seen, and at last arrived at a most splendid suit of rooms, far surpassing those to which they had been accustomed.
On one side of one of these apartments they perceived a door, which they opened, and found behind it an iron gate of amazing strength. Among the keys Blue Beard had left, they found one which opened this massy portal.
When they entered the room which was before them, they were surprised to find it almost full of large iron chests: but their surprise was considerably increased when they had found, that they were full of gold, silver, and jewels; even the costliness of the apartments they had just quitted, seemed insignificant when compared with the riches which this treasury contained.
Having fastened the entrance to the treasury, they sat down and conversed upon what they had seen. Fatima could not avoid feeling that the personal deformity in Blue Beard was compensated by the vast wealth of which she was become the mistress; but both she and her sister were almost lost in admiration of the immeasurable riches they had lately beheld.
In returning to their usual apartments, they passed the door of the mysterious blue closet, which Blue Beard had cautioned his wife not to examine. They could not help expressing their mutual curiosity upon the interior of this particular chamber. It could not have been his wish to conceal any articles of value; as nothing could be more valuable than the contents of the treasury. After some deliberation, Fatima said that they could do no harm by merely looking inside; and although her sister reminded her of the promise she had made her husband, and of his express desire, yet she resolved to gratify her irresistible curiosity, and put the key to the door.
Fatima hastened to her sister, who not choosing to partake of her sister's folly, had proceeded to their customary sitting-room. She related what she had seen; particularly the sentence which was on the wall. Her sister partook of her alarm; and feared that evil consequences would result from this unfortunate affair. She asked Fatima if she had closed the window-shutters and brought away the key: and returned every thing she had moved to its proper place; Fatima said she had; and, in proof of her answer to the inquiry, showed the key itself.
The key, however, was no sooner produced than they both turned pale with horror. This fatal instrument was covered with blood! and all their endeavours could not clear it of its condemning evidence.
During the remainder of the evening they employed themselves in making every sort of exertion to restore the key to its former state; but all they could do was ineffectual; it still preserved the testimony of Fatima's indiscretion. At night they retired to bed; but no sleep did the wretched girls obtain. The splendor and riches of the castle lost all their charms; Fatima no longer prided herself upon her good fortune; she felt that no creature could be more miserable than she was. How soon Blue Beard would return, she had no means of conjecturing; it was not likely, however, that he would be at the castle again for some days to come; she therefore resolved to escape from this dreadful mansion as soon as the entertainment, which was appointed for the next day, should have taken place.
When she arose in the morning, she communicated to her sister the intention she had formed; and they both began to feel less dread than they had experienced since the discoveries in the fatal closet. The day advanced, and they looked forward to the arrival of the relatives and friends whom they had invited to this day's entertainment.
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