Journeys Through Bookland, Volume 2 | Page 9

When the young wife realized at what she was looking, the key fell
from her shaking hand, her heart stopped beating, and she almost fell to
the floor in horror and amazement. Recovering herself after a while,
she stooped and picked up the key, locked the door and hurried back to
her chamber. In vain she tried to compose herself and meet her guests

again. She was too frightened to control herself, and when she looked
at the little key of that awful little room at the end of the long gallery on
the first floor, she saw that it was stained with blood. She wiped the key
and wiped it, but the blood would not come off. She washed it, and
scrubbed it with sand and freestone and brick dust, but the blood would
not come off; or, if she did succeed in cleaning one side and turned the
key over, there was blood on the other side, for it was a magic key
which a fairy friend of Bluebeard's had given him.
That night the wife was terrified to hear Bluebeard returning, though
she tried to welcome him with every show of delight and affection. He
explained his sudden change of plans by saying that he had met a friend
on the road who told him that it was unnecessary for him to make the
long journey, as the business he was intending to transact had been all
done.
It was a very unhappy night she passed, but Bluebeard said nothing to
disturb her until morning, and then he presently asked her for his keys.
She gave them to him, but her hand trembled like an old woman's.
Bluebeard took the keys and looked them over carelessly.
"I see the key of the little room at the end of the long gallery on the first
floor is not with the others. Where is it?"
"It must have fallen off in the drawer where I kept the keys," she said.
"Please get it for me at once," said Bluebeard, "as I wish to go to the
room."
The wife, as white as a sheet, and almost too faint to walk, went back to
her chamber and returned, saying she could not find the key.
"But I must have it," said Bluebeard; "go again and look more carefully
for it. Certainly you cannot have lost it."
So back to the chamber went the terrified woman, and, seeing no hope
of escape, she carried the key down to her waiting husband.
Bluebeard took the key, and looking at it closely, said to his wife,
"Why is this blood spot on the key?"
"I do not know," said the wife, faintly.
"You do not know!" said Bluebeard. "Well, I know. You wanted to go
to the little room. Very well; I shall see that you get there and take your
place with the other ladies."
In despair the young woman flung herself at his feet and begged for
mercy, repenting bitterly of her curiosity. Bluebeard turned a deaf ear

to all her entreaties and was not moved in the least by her piteous
beauty.
"Hear me, madam. You must die at, once," he said.
"But give me a little time to make my peace with God," she said. "I
must have time to say my prayers."
"I will give you a quarter of an hour," answered Bluebeard, "but not a
minute more."
He turned away, and she sent for her sister, who came quickly at her
summons.
"Sister Ann," she said excitedly, "go up to the top of the tower and see
if my brothers are coming. They promised to come and see me to-day.
If they are on the road make signs to them to hurry as fast as they can. I
am in awful despair."
[Illustration: SISTER ANN WATCHING FROM THE TOWER]
Without waiting for an explanation the sister went to the top of the
tower and began her watch.
She was scarcely seated when her sister called up, "Sister Annie, do
you see any one coming?"
Annie answered, "I see nothing but the sun on the golden dust and the
grass which grows green."
In the meantime, Bluebeard, who had armed himself with a sharp,
curved scimitar, stood at the foot of the stairs waiting for his wife to
come down.
"Annie, sister Annie, do you see any one coming down the road?" cried
the wife again.
"No, I see nothing but the golden dust."
Then Bluebeard called out, "Come down quickly now, or I will come
up to you."
"One minute more," replied his wife; and then she called softly, "Annie,
sister Annie, do you see any one coming?"
"I think I see a cloud of dust a little to the left."
"Do you think it is my brothers?" said