And , as her room is next to this , it will be easy to make a small hole through which I can satisfy myself whether I am right or not . ' So , taking a knife out of his pocket , he began to saw away the woodwork . The girls heard the grating noise , but fancying it was a mouse , paid no attention , and Becasigue was left in peace to pursue his work . At length the hole was large enough for him to peep through , and the sight was one to strike him dumb with amazement . He had guessed truly : the tall lady was Eglantine herself ; but the other -- where had he seen her ? Ah ! now he knew -- it was the lady of the portrait ! Desiree , in a flowing dress of green silk , was lying stretched out upon cushions , and as Eglantine bent over her to bathe the wounded leg , she began to talk : ` Oh ! let me die , ' cried she , ` rather than go on leading this life . You can not tell the misery of being a beast all the day , and unable to speak to the man I love , to whose impatience I owe my cruel fate . Yet , even so , I can not bring myself to hate him . ' These words , low though they were spoken , reached Becasigue , who could hardly believe his ears . He stood silent for a moment ; then , crossing to the window out of which the prince was gazing , he took his arm and led him across the room . A single glance was sufficient to show the prince that it was indeed Desiree ; and how another had come to the palace bearing her name , at that instant he neither knew nor cared . Stealing on tip-toe from the room , he knocked at the next door , which was opened by Eglantine , who thought it was the old woman bearing their supper . She started back at the sight of the prince , whom this time she also recognised . But he thrust her aside , and flung himself at the feet of Desiree , to whom he poured out all his heart ! Dawn found them still conversing ; and the sun was high in the heavens before the princess perceived that she retained her human form . Ah ! how happy she was when she knew that the days of her punishment were over ; and with a glad voice she told the prince the tale of her enchantment .
So the story ended well after all ; and the fairy Tulip , who turned out to be the old woman of the hut , made the young couple such a wedding feast XXXXX had never been seen since the world began .
as at before for in of that though through whether