"What are you running away for?" asked the furious voice,
which had followed her. "Give me back my bag, will you?
Don't you know that it is the bag of life and death?"
"Listen to me, Erik," sighed the girl. "As it is settled that we
are to live together...what difference can it make to you?"
"You know there are only two keys in it," said the monster.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to look at this room which I have never seen and which you
have always kept from me....It's woman's curiosity!" she said,
in a tone which she tried to render playful.
But the trick was too childish for Erik to be taken in by it.
"I don't like curious women," he retorted, "and you had better
remember the story of BLUE-BEARD and be careful....Come, give me
back my bag!...Give me back my bag!...Leave the key alone,
will you, you inquisitive little thing?"
And he chuckled, while Christine gave a cry of pain. Erik had
evidently recovered the bag from her.
At that moment, the viscount could not help uttering an exclamation
of impotent rage.
"Why, what's that?" said the monster. "Did you hear, Christine?"
"No, no," replied the poor girl.
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