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had only advanced a few steps, when the most frightful scene met her view: and, struck with horror and dismay, she dropped the key of the closet. She was in the midst of blood; and the heads, bodies, and the mutilated limbs of murdered ladies lay scattered on the floor. These ladies had all been married to Blue Beard, and had all suffered dreadful deaths for their imprudent curiosity.
Blue Beard's first wife was a bold spirited woman, with whom he quarrelled soon after marriage; and having in the heat of his anger murdered her, he concealed the body in this blue closet. The rest of his wives, who, like Fatima, could
not refrain from indulging their curiosity, he had killed for acting contrary to his express commands; and the key, which was the gift of a fairy, had always betrayed their fatal disobedience.
The terror of Fatima, whose blood was chilled within her, while her hair stood on end, was not diminished on discerning these dreadful words on the wall, in large characters—
"the reward of disobedience and imprudent curiosity!"
She trembled violently; but, on recovering a little, she summoned sufficient resolution to snatch up the key, and leave this abode of horror and dismay. Almost without knowing what she did, from the agitated state of her mind, she closed the door behind her, and locked it.
As she went up stairs, her imagination conjured up the ghosts of these murdered ladies to her view, and a faintness coming over her, she was obliged for a few moments to lean against the bannister, to regain strength enough to reach her sister's chamber, to whom she related the whole of the horrid
