"Half a quarter of an hour, but not a moment longer," he replied, and left her.
The poor young woman hastened to a room at the foot of the turret stairs where was her Sister Anne, and called to her.
"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look from the tower window. Can you see no one coming?" And Sister Anne, looking out, answered:
"Alas! No! Nothing but the green grass, and the sun which shines upon it."
Bluebeard shouted from below that the time was almost up.
"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look once again, can you see no one coming?" whispered the young wife wringing her hands. Her brothers, she knew, were to visit her that day—if only they would come in time!
"Alas, No!" Sister Anne replied. "I see a cloud of dust, but it is only a flock of sheep on the road."
But now Bluebeard bawled out so loudly for his wife to come down, that the whole house shook.
"Sister Anne, Sister Anne, tell me is no one coming?"
"I see two horsemen afar off," cried Sister Anne. "I will beckon to them to hasten hither."