BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD.

Still she went on, till she came into the hall, and went up the broad
stairs till she came to a door in the gallery, over which was written:

BE BOLD, BE BOLD, BUT NOT TOO BOLD, LEST THAT YOUR HEART'S BLOOD
SHOULD RUN COLD.

But Lady Mary was a brave one, she was, and she opened the door, and
what do you think she saw? Why, bodies and skeletons of beautiful
young ladies all stained with blood. So Lady Mary thought it was high
time to get out of that horrid place, and she closed the door, went
through the gallery, and was just going down the stairs, and out of
the hall, when who should she see through the window, but Mr. Fox
dragging a beautiful young lady along from the gateway to the door.
Lady Mary rushed downstairs, and hid herself behind a cask, just in
time, as Mr. Fox came in with the poor young lady who seemed to have
fainted. Just as he got near Lady Mary, Mr. Fox saw a diamond ring
glittering on the finger of the young lady he was dragging, and he
tried to pull it off. But it was tightly fixed, and would not come
off, so Mr. Fox cursed and swore, and drew his sword, raised it, and
brought it down upon the hand of the poor lady. The sword cut off the
hand, which jumped up into the air, and fell of all places in the
world into Lady Mary's lap. Mr. Fox looked about a bit, but did not
think of looking behind the cask, so at last he went on dragging the
young lady up the stairs into the Bloody Chamber.

As soon as she heard him pass through the gallery, Lady Mary crept out
of the door, down through the gateway, and ran home as fast as she
could.