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第28节

the black tulip-第28节

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As ill luck would have it; his coarse; hard hand; the same 

which he had broken; and which Cornelius van Baerle had set 

so well; grasped at once in the midst of the jug; on the 

spot where the bulb was lying in the soil。 



〃What have you got here?〃 he roared。 〃Ah! have I caught 

you?〃 and with this he grabbed in the soil。 



〃I? nothing; nothing;〃 cried Cornelius; trembling。 



〃Ah! have I caught you? a jug and earth in it There is some 

criminal secret at the bottom of all this。〃 



〃Oh; my good Master Gryphus;〃 said Van Baerle; imploringly; 

and anxious as the partridge robbed of her young by the 

reaper。 



In fact; Gryphus was beginning to dig the soil with his 

crooked fingers。 



〃Take care; sir; take care;〃 said Cornelius; growing quite 

pale。 



〃Care of what? Zounds! of what?〃 roared the jailer。 



〃Take care; I say; you will crush it; Master Gryphus。〃 



And with a rapid and almost frantic movement he snatched the 

jug from the hands of Gryphus; and hid it like a treasure 

under his arms。 



But Gryphus; obstinate; like an old man; and more and more 

convinced that he was discovering here a conspiracy against 

the Prince of Orange; rushed up to his prisoner; raising his 

stick; seeing; however; the impassible resolution of the 

captive to protect his flower…pot he was convinced that 

Cornelius trembled much less for his head than for his jug。 



He therefore tried to wrest it from him by force。 



〃Halloa!〃 said the jailer; furious; 〃here; you see; you are 

rebelling。〃 



〃Leave me my tulip;〃 cried Van Baerle。 



〃Ah; yes; tulip;〃 replied the old man; 〃we know well the 

shifts of prisoners。〃 



〃But I vow to you  〃 



〃Let go;〃 repeated Gryphus; stamping his foot; 〃let go; or I 

shall call the guard。〃 



〃Call whoever you like; but you shall not have this flower 

except with my life。〃 



Gryphus; exasperated; plunged his finger a second time into 

the soil; and now he drew out the bulb; which certainly 

looked quite black; and whilst Van Baerle; quite happy to 

have saved the vessel; did not suspect that the adversary 

had possessed himself of its precious contents; Gryphus 

hurled the softened bulb with all his force on the flags; 

where almost immediately after it was crushed to atoms under 

his heavy shoe。 



Van Baerle saw the work of destruction; got a glimpse of the 

juicy remains of his darling bulb; and; guessing the cause 

of the ferocious joy of Gryphus; uttered a cry of agony; 

which would have melted the heart even of that ruthless 

jailer who some years before killed Pelisson's spider。 



The idea of striking down this spiteful bully passed like 

lightning through the brain of the tulip…fancier。 The blood 

rushed to his brow; and seemed like fire in his eyes; which 

blinded him; and he raised in his two hands the heavy jug 

with all the now useless earth which remained in it。 One 

instant more; and he would have flung it on the bald head of 

old Gryphus。 



But a cry stopped him; a cry of agony; uttered by poor Rosa; 

who; trembling and pale; with her arms raised to heaven; 

made her appearance behind the grated window; and thus 

interposed between her father and her friend。 



Gryphus then understood the danger with which he had been 

threatened; and he broke out in a volley of the most 

terrible abuse。 



〃Indeed;〃 said Cornelius to him; 〃you must be a very mean 

and spiteful fellow to rob a poor prisoner of his only 

consolation; a tulip bulb。〃 



〃For shame; my father;〃 Rosa chimed in; 〃it is indeed a 

crime you have committed here。〃 



〃Ah; is that you; my little chatter…box?〃 the old man cried; 

boiling with rage and turning towards her; 〃don't you meddle 

with what don't concern you; but go down as quickly as 

possible。〃 



〃Unfortunate me;〃 continued Cornelius; overwhelmed with 

grief。 



〃After all; it is but a tulip;〃 Gryphus resumed; as he began 

to be a little ashamed of himself。 〃You may have as many 

tulips as you like: I have three hundred of them in my 

loft。〃 



〃To the devil with your tulips!〃 cried Cornelius; 〃you are 

worthy of each other: had I a hundred thousand millions of 

them; I would gladly give them for the one which you have 

just destroyed。〃 



〃Oh; so!〃 Gryphus said; in a tone of triumph; 〃now there we 

have it。 It was not your tulip you cared for。 There was in 

that false bulb some witchcraft; perhaps some means of 

correspondence with conspirators against his Highness who 

has granted you your life。 I always said they were wrong in 

not cutting your head off。〃 



〃Father; father!〃 cried Rosa。 



〃Yes; yes! it is better as it is now;〃 repeated Gryphus; 

growing warm; 〃I have destroyed it; and I'll do the same 

again; as often as you repeat the trick。 Didn't I tell you; 

my fine fellow; that I would make your life a hard one?〃 



〃A curse on you!〃 Cornelius exclaimed; quite beyond himself 

with despair; as he gathered; with his trembling fingers; 

the remnants of that bulb on which he had rested so many 

joys and so many hopes。 



〃We shall plant the other to…morrow; my dear Mynheer 

Cornelius;〃 said Rosa; in a low voice; who understood the 

intense grief of the unfortunate tulip…fancier; and who; 

with the pure sacred love of her innocent heart; poured 

these kind words; like a drop of balm; on the bleeding 

wounds of Cornelius。 









Chapter 18



Rosa's Lover





Rosa had scarcely pronounced these consolatory words when a 

voice was heard from the staircase asking Gryphus how 

matters were going on。 



〃Do you hear; father?〃 said Rosa。 



〃What?〃 



〃Master Jacob calls you; he is uneasy。〃 



〃There was such a noise;〃 said Gryphus; 〃wouldn't you have 

thought he would murder me; this doctor? They are always 

very troublesome fellows; these scholars。〃 



Then; pointing with his finger towards the staircase; he 

said to Rosa: 〃Just lead the way; Miss。〃 



After this he locked the door and called out: 〃I shall be 

with you directly; friend Jacob。〃 



Poor Cornelius; thus left alone with his bitter grief; 

muttered to himself;  



〃Ah; you old hangman! it is me you have trodden under foot; 

you have murdered me; I shall not survive it。〃 



And certainly the unfortunate prisoner would have fallen ill 

but for the counterpoise which Providence had granted to his 

grief; and which was called Rosa。 



In the evening she came back。 Her first words announced to 

Cornelius that henceforth her father would make no objection 

to his cultivating flowers。 



〃And how do you know that?〃 the prisoner asked; with a 

doleful look。 



〃I know it because he has said so。〃 



〃To deceive me; perhaps。〃 



〃No; he repents。〃 



〃Ah yes! but too late。〃 



〃This repentance is not of himself。〃 



〃And who put it into him?〃 



〃If you only knew how his friend scolded him!〃 



〃Ah; Master Jacob; he does not leave you; then; that Master 

Jacob?〃 



〃At any rate; he leaves us as little as he can help。〃 



Saying this; she smiled in such a way that the little cloud 

of jealousy which had darkened the brow of Cornelius 

speedily vanished。 



〃How was it?〃 asked the prisoner。 



〃Well; being asked by his friend; my father told at supper 

the whole story of the tulip; or rather of the bulb; and of 

his own fine exploit of crushing it。〃 



Cornelius heaved a sigh; which might have been called a 

groan。 



〃Had you only seen Master Jacob at that moment!〃 continued 

Rosa。 〃I really thought he would set fire to the castle; his 

eyes were like two flaming torches; his hair stood on end; 

and he clinched his fist for a moment; I thought he would 

have strangled my father。〃 



〃'You have done that;' he cried; 'you have crushed the 

bulb?' 



〃'Indeed I have。' 



〃'It is infamous;' said Master Jacob; 'it is odious! You 

have committed a great crime!' 



〃My father was quite dumbfounded。 



〃'Are you mad; too?' he asked his friend。〃 



〃Oh; what a worthy man is this Master Jacob!〃 muttered 

Cornelius;  〃an honest soul; an excellent heart that he 

is。〃 



〃The truth is; that it is impossible to treat a man more 

rudely than he did my father; he was really quite in 

despair; repeating over and over again;  



〃'Crushed; crushed the bulb! my God; my God! crushed!' 



〃Then; turning toward me; he asked; 'But it was not the only 

one that he had?'〃 



〃Did he ask that?〃 inquired Cornelius; with some anxiety。 



〃'You think it was not the only one?' said my father。 'Very 

well; we shall search for the others。' 



〃'You will search for the others?' cried Jacob; taking my 

father by the collar; but he immediately loosed him。 Then; 

turning towards me; he continued; asking 'And what did that 

poor young man say?' 



〃I did not know what to answer; 

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