"How is it," said he, "that the key of the closet upon the ground floor is not here."
"Is it not?" said the wife. "I must have left it on my dressing table."
"Be sure you give it me by and by," replied Blue Beard.
After going several times backwards and forwards, pretending to look for the key, she was at last obliged to give it to Blue Beard. He looked at it attentively, and then said:
"How came this blood upon the key?"
"I am sure I do not know," replied the lady, turning as pale as death.
"You do not know?" said Blue Beard sternly. "But I know well enough. You have been in the closet on the ground floor. Very well, madam; since you are so mightily fond of this closet, you shall certainly take your place among the ladies you saw there."
His wife, almost dead with fear, fell upon her knees, asked his pardon a thousand times for her disobedience, and begged him to forgive her, looking all the time so sorrowful and lovely that she would have melted any heart that was not harder than a rock.