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第21节

the black tulip-第21节

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〃So may God grant me mercy; and to her health and long life! 



〃Cornelius van Baerle。〃 



The prisoner then; giving the Bible to Rosa; said;  



〃Read。〃 



〃Alas!〃 she answered; 〃I have already told you I cannot 

read。〃 



Cornelius then read to Rosa the testament that he had just 

made。 



The agony of the poor girl almost overpowered her。 



〃Do you accept my conditions?〃 asked the prisoner; with a 

melancholy smile; kissing the trembling hands of the 

afflicted girl。 



〃Oh; I don't know; sir;〃 she stammered。 



〃You don't know; child; and why not?〃 



〃Because there is one condition which I am afraid I cannot 

keep。〃 



〃Which? I should have thought that all was settled between 

us。〃 



〃You give me the hundred thousand guilders as a marriage 

portion; don't you? 



〃And under the condition of my marrying a man whom I love?〃 



〃Certainly。〃 



〃Well; then; sir; this money cannot belong to me。 I shall 

never love any one; neither shall I marry。〃 



And; after having with difficulty uttered these words; Rosa 

almost swooned away in the violence of her grief。 



Cornelius; frightened at seeing her so pale and sinking; was 

going to take her in his arms; when a heavy step; followed 

by other dismal sounds; was heard on the staircase; amidst 

the continued barking of the dog。 



〃They are coming to fetch you。 Oh God! Oh God!〃 cried Rosa; 

wringing her hands。 〃And have you nothing more to tell me?〃 



She fell on her knees with her face buried in her hands and 

became almost senseless。 



〃I have only to say; that I wish you to preserve these bulbs 

as a most precious treasure; and carefully to treat them 

according to the directions I have given you。 Do it for my 

sake; and now farewell; Rosa。〃 



〃Yes; yes;〃 she said; without raising her head; 〃I will do 

anything you bid me; except marrying;〃 she added; in a low 

voice; 〃for that; oh! that is impossible for me。〃 



She then put the cherished treasure next her beating heart。 



The noise on the staircase which Cornelius and Rosa had 

heard was caused by the Recorder; who was coming for the 

prisoner。 He was followed by the executioner; by the 

soldiers who were to form the guard round the scaffold; and 

by some curious hangers…on of the prison。 



Cornelius; without showing any weakness; but likewise 

without any bravado; received them rather as friends than as 

persecutors; and quietly submitted to all those preparations 

which these men were obliged to make in performance of their 

duty。 



Then; casting a glance into the yard through the narrow 

iron…barred window of his cell; he perceived the scaffold; 

and; at twenty paces distant from it; the gibbet; from 

which; by order of the Stadtholder; the outraged remains of 

the two brothers De Witt had been taken down。 



When the moment came to descend in order to follow the 

guards; Cornelius sought with his eyes the angelic look of 

Rosa; but he saw; behind the swords and halberds; only a 

form lying outstretched near a wooden bench; and a deathlike 

face half covered with long golden locks。 



But Rosa; whilst falling down senseless; still obeying her 

friend; had pressed her hand on her velvet bodice and; 

forgetting everything in the world besides; instinctively 

grasped the precious deposit which Cornelius had intrusted 

to her care。 



Leaving the cell; the young man could still see in the 

convulsively clinched fingers of Rosa the yellowish leaf 

from that Bible on which Cornelius de Witt had with such 

difficulty and pain written these few lines; which; if Van 

Baerle had read them; would undoubtedly have been the saving 

of a man and a tulip。 









Chapter 12



The Execution





Cornelius had not three hundred paces to walk outside the 

prison to reach the foot of the scaffold。 At the bottom of 

the staircase; the dog quietly looked at him whilst he was 

passing; Cornelius even fancied he saw in the eyes of the 

monster a certain expression as it were of compassion。 



The dog perhaps knew the condemned prisoners; and only bit 

those who left as free men。 



The shorter the way from the door of the prison to the foot 

of the scaffold; the more fully; of course; it was crowded 

with curious people。 



These were the same who; not satisfied with the blood which 

they had shed three days before; were now craving for a new 

victim。 



And scarcely had Cornelius made his appearance than a fierce 

groan ran through the whole street; spreading all over the 

yard; and re…echoing from the streets which led to the 

scaffold; and which were likewise crowded with spectators。 



The scaffold indeed looked like an islet at the confluence 

of several rivers。 



In the midst of these threats; groans; and yells; Cornelius; 

very likely in order not to hear them; had buried himself in 

his own thoughts。 



And what did he think of in his last melancholy journey? 



Neither of his enemies; nor of his judges; nor of his 

executioners。 



He thought of the beautiful tulips which he would see from 

heaven above; at Ceylon; or Bengal; or elsewhere; when he 

would be able to look with pity on this earth; where John 

and Cornelius de Witt had been murdered for having thought 

too much of politics; and where Cornelius van Baerle was 

about to be murdered for having thought too much of tulips。 



〃It is only one stroke of the axe;〃 said the philosopher to 

himself; 〃and my beautiful dream will begin to be realised。〃 



Only there was still a chance; just as it had happened 

before to M。 de Chalais; to M。 de Thou; and other slovenly 

executed people; that the headsman might inflict more than 

one stroke; that is to say; more than one martyrdom; on the 

poor tulip…fancier。 



Yet; notwithstanding all this; Van Baerle mounted the 

scaffold not the less resolutely; proud of having been the 

friend of that illustrious John; and godson of that noble 

Cornelius de Witt; whom the ruffians; who were now crowding 

to witness his own doom; had torn to pieces and burnt three 

days before。 



He knelt down; said his prayers; and observed; not without a 

feeling of sincere joy; that; laying his head on the block; 

and keeping his eyes open; he would be able to his last 

moment to see the grated window of the Buytenhof。 



At length the fatal moment arrived; and Cornelius placed his 

chin on the cold damp block。 But at this moment his eyes 

closed involuntarily; to receive more resolutely the 

terrible avalanche which was about to fall on his head; and 

to engulf his life。 



A gleam like that of lightning passed across the scaffold: 

it was the executioner raising his sword。 



Van Baerle bade farewell to the great black tulip; certain 

of awaking in another world full of light and glorious 

tints。 



Three times he felt; with a shudder; the cold current of air 

from the knife near his neck; but what a surprise! he felt 

neither pain nor shock。 



He saw no change in the colour of the sky; or of the world 

around him。 



Then suddenly Van Baerle felt gentle hands raising him; and 

soon stood on his feet again; although trembling a little。 



He looked around him。 There was some one by his side; 

reading a large parchment; sealed with a huge seal of red 

wax。 



And the same sun; yellow and pale; as it behooves a Dutch 

sun to be; was shining in the skies; and the same grated 

window looked down upon him from the Buytenhof; and the same 

rabble; no longer yelling; but completely thunderstruck; 

were staring at him from the streets below。 



Van Baerle began to be sensible to what was going on around 

him。 



His Highness; William; Prince of Orange; very likely afraid 

that Van Baerle's blood would turn the scale of judgment 

against him; had compassionately taken into consideration 

his good character; and the apparent proofs of his 

innocence。 



His Highness; accordingly; had granted him his life。 



Cornelius at first hoped that the pardon would be complete; 

and that he would be restored to his full liberty and to his 

flower borders at Dort。 



But Cornelius was mistaken。 To use an expression of Madame 

de Sevigne; who wrote about the same time; 〃there was a 

postscript to the letter;〃 and the most important part of 

the letter was contained in the postscript。 



In this postscript; William of Orange; Stadtholder of 

Holland; condemned Cornelius van Baerle to imprisonment for 

life。 He was not sufficiently guilty to suffer death; but he 

was too much so to be set at liberty。 



Cornelius heard this clause; but; the first feeling of 

vexation and disappointment over; he said to himself;  



〃Never mind; all this is not lost yet; there is some good in 

this perpetual imprisonment; Rosa will be there; and also my 

three bulbs of t

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