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LABOULAYE 5 FAIRY BOOK
declared to Finette that, should he stay all night, he would
not leave the house till she had signed the promise.
" Nevertheless," said he, "if you do not like my person,
I have another parchment here on which I will write an
agreement to live apart; and if my sight annoys you you
have only to shut your eyes."
"Why," said Finette, "I might decide to do as you wish
if I were sure of finding a good husband in you; but I am
afraid."
"Of what, my dear child?" asked the bailift, smiling,
and already as proud as a peacock.
"Do you think," said she, with a pettish air, "that a good
husband would leave that door wide open and not know
that his wife was freezing with cold?"
“You are right, my dear,” said the bailiff; "it was very
stupid in me. I will go and shut it.”
"Have you hold of the knob?” asked Finette.
“Yes, my charmer,” answered the happy bailiff; “I am
just shutting the door.”
‘* Abracadabra!”’ cried Finette. " May you hold the door,
villain, and may the door hold you till daybreak.”’
And behold! the door opened and shut, and slammed
against the walls like an eagle flapping its wings. You
may judge what a dance the poor captive kept up all night.
Never had he tried such a waltz, and I imagine that he
never wished to dance a second one of the same sort.
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