"
So the merchant followed him back into the palace. There, on the floor
of the hall, lay a great and beautiful chest of wrought silver.
"Fill this with any treasures that take your fancy," said the Beast.
And the merchant filled it up with precious things from the Beast's
treasure-house.
"I will send it home for you," said the Beast, shutting down the lid.
And so, with a heavy heart, the merchant went away; but as he went
through the palace gate, the Beast called to him that he had forgotten
Beauty's rose, and at the same time held out to him a large bunch of
the very best.
The merchant put these into Beauty's hand when she ran to meet him at
the door of their cottage.
"Take them, my child," he said, "and cherish them, for they have cost
your poor father his life."
And with that he sat down and told them the whole story. The two elder
sisters wept and wailed, and of course blamed Beauty for all that had
happened.
"If it had not been for your wanting a rose, our father would have
left the palace in safety, with his new suit and his gold pieces; but
your foolishness has cost him his life."
"No," said Beauty, "it is _my_ life that shall be sacrificed, for when
the three months are over, I shall go to the Beast, and he may kill me
if he will, but he shall never hurt my dear father.
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