the black tulip-第29节
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poor young man say？'
〃I did not know what to answer； as you had so strictly
enjoined me never to allow any one to guess the interest
which you are taking in the bulb。 Fortunately； my father
saved me from the difficulty by chiming in；
〃'What did he say？ Didn't he fume and fret？'
〃I interrupted him； saying； 'Was it not natural that be
should be furious； you were so unjust and brutal； father？'
〃'Well； now； are you mad？' cried my father； 'what immense
misfortune is it to crush a tulip bulb？ You may buy a
hundred of them in the market of Gorcum。'
〃'Perhaps some less precious one than that was！' I quite
incautiously replied。〃
〃And what did Jacob say or do at these words？〃 asked
Cornelius。
〃At these words； if I must say it； his eyes seemed to flash
like lightning。〃
〃But；〃 said Cornelius； 〃that was not all； I am sure he said
something in his turn。〃
〃'So； then； my pretty Rosa；' he said； with a voice as sweet
a honey； 'so you think that bulb to have been a precious
one？'
〃I saw that I had made a blunder。
〃'What do I know？' I said； negligently； 'do I understand
anything of tulips？ I only know as unfortunately it is
our lot to live with prisoners that for them any pastime
is of value。 This poor Mynheer van Baerle amused himself
with this bulb。 Well； I think it very cruel to take from him
the only thing that he could have amused himself with。'
〃'But； first of all；' said my father； 'we ought to know how
he has contrived to procure this bulb。'
〃I turned my eyes away to avoid my father's look； but I met
those of Jacob。
〃It was as if he had tried to read my thoughts at the bottom
of my heart。
〃Some little show of anger sometimes saves an answer。 I
shrugged my shoulders； turned my back； and advanced towards
the door。
〃But I was kept by something which I heard； although it was
uttered in a very low voice only。
〃Jacob said to my father；
〃'It would not be so difficult to ascertain that。'
〃'How so？'
〃'You need only search his person： and if he has the other
bulbs； we shall find them； as there usually are three
suckers！'〃
〃Three suckers！〃 cried Cornelius。 〃Did you say that I have
three？〃
〃The word certainly struck me just as much as it does you。 I
turned round。 They were both of them so deeply engaged in
their conversation that they did not observe my movement。
〃'But；' said my father； 'perhaps he has not got his bulbs
about him？'
〃'Then take him down； under some pretext or other and I will
search his cell in the meanwhile。'〃
〃Halloa； halloa！〃 said Cornelius。 〃But this Mr。 Jacob of
yours is a villain； it seems。〃
〃I am afraid he is。〃
〃Tell me； Rosa；〃 continued Cornelius； with a pensive air。
〃What？〃
〃Did you not tell me that on the day when you prepared your
borders this man followed you？〃
〃So he did。〃
〃That he glided like a shadow behind the elder trees？〃
〃Certainly。〃
〃That not one of your movements escaped him？〃
〃Not one； indeed。〃
〃Rosa；〃 said Cornelius； growing quite pale。
〃Well？〃
〃It was not you he was after。〃
〃Who else； then？〃
〃It is not you that he was in love with！〃
〃But with whom else？〃
〃He was after my bulb； and is in love with my tulip！〃
〃You don't say so！ And yet it is very possible；〃 said Rosa。
〃Will you make sure of it？〃
〃In what manner？〃
〃Oh； it would be very easy！〃
〃Tell me。〃
〃Go to…morrow into the garden； manage matters so that Jacob
may know； as he did the first time； that you are going
there； and that he may follow you。 Feign to put the bulb
into the ground； leave the garden； but look through the
keyhole of the door and watch him。〃
〃Well； and what then？〃
〃What then？ We shall do as he does。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Rosa； with a sigh； 〃you are very fond of your
bulbs。〃
〃To tell the truth；〃 said the prisoner； sighing likewise；
〃since your father crushed that unfortunate bulb； I feel as
if part of my own self had been paralyzed。〃
〃Now just hear me；〃 said Rosa； 〃will you try something
else？〃
〃What？〃
〃Will you accept the proposition of my father？〃
〃Which proposition？〃
〃Did not he offer to you tulip bulbs by hundreds？〃
〃Indeed he did。〃
〃Accept two or three； and； along with them； you may grow the
third sucker。〃
〃Yes； that would do very well；〃 said Cornelius； knitting his
brow； 〃if your father were alone； but there is that Master
Jacob； who watches all our ways。〃
〃Well； that is true； but only think！ you are depriving
yourself； as I can easily see； of a very great pleasure。〃
She pronounced these words with a smile； which was not
altogether without a tinge of irony。
Cornelius reflected for a moment； he evidently was
struggling against some vehement desire。
〃No！〃 he cried at last； with the stoicism of a Roman of old；
〃it would be a weakness； it would be a folly； it would be a
meanness！ If I thus give up the only and last resource which
we possess to the uncertain chances of the bad passions of
anger and envy； I should never deserve to be forgiven。 No；
Rosa； no； to…morrow we shall come to a conclusion as to the
spot to be chosen for your tulip； you will plant it
according to my instructions； and as to the third sucker；〃
Cornelius here heaved a deep sigh； 〃watch over it as a
miser over his first or last piece of gold； as the mother
over her child； as the wounded over the last drop of blood
in his veins； watch over it； Rosa！ Some voice within me
tells me that it will be our saving； that it will be a
source of good to us。〃
〃Be easy； Mynheer Cornelius；〃 said Rosa； with a sweet
mixture of melancholy and gravity； 〃be easy； your wishes are
commands to me。〃
〃And even；〃 continued Van Baerle； warming more and more with
his subject； 〃if you should perceive that your steps are
watched； and that your speech has excited the suspicion of
your father and of that detestable Master Jacob； well；
Rosa； don't hesitate for one moment to sacrifice me； who am
only still living through you； me； who have no one in the
world but you； sacrifice me； don't come to see me any
more。〃
Rosa felt her heart sink within her； and her eyes were
filling with tears。
〃Alas！〃 she said。
〃What is it？〃 asked Cornelius。
〃I see one thing。〃
〃What do you see？〃
〃I see；〃 said she； bursting out in sobs； 〃I see that you
love your tulips with such love as to have no more room in
your heart left for other affections。〃
Saying this； she fled。
Cornelius； after this； passed one of the worst nights he
ever had in his life。
Rosa was vexed with him； and with good reason。 Perhaps she
would never return to see the prisoner； and then he would
have no more news； either of Rosa or of his tulips。
We have to confess； to the disgrace of our hero and of
floriculture； that of his two affections he felt most
strongly inclined to regret the loss of Rosa； and when； at
about three in the morning； he fell asleep overcome with
fatigue； and harassed with remorse； the grand black tulip
yielded precedence in his dreams to the sweet blue eyes of
the fair maid of Friesland。
Chapter 19
The Maid and the Flower
But poor Rosa； in her secluded chamber； could not have known
of whom or of what Cornelius was dreaming。
From what he had said she was more ready to believe that he
dreamed of the black tulip than of her； and yet Rosa was
mistaken。
But as there was no one to tell her so； and as the words of
Cornelius's thoughtless speech had fallen upon her heart
like drops of poison； she did not dream； but she wept。
The fact was； that； as Rosa was a high…spirited creature； of
no mean perception and a noble heart； she took a very clear
and judicious view of her own social position； if not of her
moral and physical qualities。
Cornelius was a scholar； and was wealthy； at least he had
been before the confiscation of his property； Cornelius
belonged to the merchant…bourgeoisie； who were prouder of
their richly emblazoned shop signs than the hereditary
nobility of their heraldic bearings。 Therefore； although he
might find Rosa a pleasant companion for the dreary hours of
his captivity； when it came to a question of bestowing his
heart it was almost certain that he would bestow it upon a
tulip； that is to say； upon the proudest and noblest of
flowers； rather than upon poor Rosa； the jailer's lowly
child。
Thus Rosa understood Cornelius's preference of the tulip to
herself； but was only so much the more unhappy therefor。
During the whole of this terrible night the poor girl did
not close an eye；
