Читать книгу Tales of Passed Times - Illustrated by Charles Robinson - Charles Perrault - Страница 16
Оглавление“Your tears are useless” said Bluebeard, “you must die!”
Blue Beard began to roar so loudly that the whole house shook again. The poor wife went down and threw herself at his feet with weeping eyes and dishevelled hair. “It is of no use,” said Blue Beard; “you must die!” Then, taking her by the hair with one hand, and raising the cutlass with the other, he was about to cut off her head.
The poor wife, turning towards him her dying eyes, begged him to give her one short moment to collect herself. “No, no,” said he; “commend yourself to heaven,” and, lifting his arm.... At this moment there was such a loud 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 recognised them as the brothers of his wife, one a dragoon, the other a musketeer, and he therefore fled at once, hoping to escape; but they pursued him so closely that they overtook him before he could reach the steps to his door, and, running 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.
It was found that Blue Beard had left no heirs, and so his widow came into possession of all his property. She employed part of it in marrying her Sister Anne to a man who had long loved her; another part in buying captains’ commissions for her two brothers; and with the remainder she married herself to a very worthy man, who made her forget the dreadful 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.
