太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the black tulip >

第31节

the black tulip-第31节

小说: the black tulip 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Gryphus carried the dishes away just as he had brought them。 



Cornelius had remained in bed the whole day。 



〃Well;〃 said Gryphus; coming down from the last visit; 〃I 

think we shall soon get rid of our scholar。〃 



Rosa was startled。 



〃Nonsense!〃 said Jacob。 〃What do you mean?〃 



〃He doesn't drink; he doesn't eat; he doesn't leave his bed。 

He will get out of it; like Mynheer Grotius; in a chest; 

only the chest will be a coffin。〃 



Rosa grew pale as death。 



〃Ah!〃 she said to herself; 〃he is uneasy about his tulip。〃 



And; rising with a heavy heart; she returned to her chamber; 

where she took a pen and paper; and during the whole of that 

night busied herself with tracing letters。 



On the following morning; when Cornelius got up to drag 

himself to the window; he perceived a paper which had been 

slipped under the door。 



He pounced upon it; opened it; and read the following words; 

in a handwriting which he could scarcely have recognized as 

that of Rosa; so much had she improved during her short 

absence of seven days;  



〃Be easy; your tulip is going on well。〃 



Although these few words of Rosa's somewhat soothed the 

grief of Cornelius; yet he felt not the less the irony which 

was at the bottom of them。 Rosa; then; was not ill; she was 

offended; she had not been forcibly prevented from coming; 

but had voluntarily stayed away。 Thus Rosa; being at 

liberty; found in her own will the force not to come and see 

him; who was dying with grief at not having seen her。 



Cornelius had paper and a pencil which Rosa had brought to 

him。 He guessed that she expected an answer; but that she 

would not come before the evening to fetch it。 He therefore 

wrote on a piece of paper; similar to that which he had 

received;  



〃It was not my anxiety about the tulip that has made me ill; 

but the grief at not seeing you。〃 



After Gryphus had made his last visit of the day; and 

darkness had set in; he slipped the paper under the door; 

and listened with the most intense attention; but he neither 

heard Rosa's footsteps nor the rustling of her gown。 



He only heard a voice as feeble as a breath; and gentle like 

a caress; which whispered through the grated little window 

in the door the word;  



〃To…morrow!〃 



Now to…morrow was the eighth day。 For eight days Cornelius 

and Rosa had not seen each other。 









Chapter 20



The Events which took place during those Eight Days





On the following evening; at the usual hour; Van Baerle 

heard some one scratch at the grated little window; just as 

Rosa had been in the habit of doing in the heyday of their 

friendship。 



Cornelius being; as may easily be imagined; not far off from 

the door; perceived Rosa; who at last was waiting again for 

him with her lamp in her hand。 



Seeing him so sad and pale; she was startled; and said;  



〃You are ill; Mynheer Cornelius?〃 



〃Yes; I am;〃 he answered; as indeed he was suffering in mind 

and in body。 



〃I saw that you did not eat;〃 said Rosa; 〃my father told me 

that you remained in bed all day。 I then wrote to calm your 

uneasiness concerning the fate of the most precious object 

of your anxiety。〃 



〃And I;〃 said Cornelius; 〃I have answered。 Seeing your 

return; my dear Rosa; I thought you had received my letter。〃 



〃It is true; I have received it。〃 



〃You cannot this time excuse yourself with not being able to 

read。 Not only do you read very fluently; but also you have 

made marvellous progress in writing。〃 



〃Indeed; I have not only received; but also read your note。 

Accordingly I am come to see whether there might not be some 

remedy to restore you to health。〃 



〃Restore me to health?〃 cried Cornelius; 〃but have you any 

good news to communicate to me?〃 



Saying this; the poor prisoner looked at Rosa; his eyes 

sparkling with hope。 



Whether she did not; or would not; understand this look; 

Rosa answered gravely;  



〃I have only to speak to you about your tulip; which; as I 

well know; is the object uppermost in your mind。〃 



Rosa pronounced those few words in a freezing tone; which 

cut deeply into the heart of Cornelius。 He did not suspect 

what lay hidden under this appearance of indifference with 

which the poor girl affected to speak of her rival; the 

black tulip。 



〃Oh!〃 muttered Cornelius; 〃again! again! Have I not told 

you; Rosa; that I thought but of you? that it was you alone 

whom I regretted; you whom I missed; you whose absence I 

felt more than the loss of liberty and of life itself?〃 



Rosa smiled with a melancholy air。 



〃Ah!〃 she said; 〃your tulip has been in such danger。〃 



Cornelius trembled involuntarily; and showed himself clearly 

to be caught in the trap; if ever the remark was meant as 

such。 



〃Danger!〃 he cried; quite alarmed; 〃what danger?〃 



Rosa looked at him with gentle compassion; she felt that 

what she wished was beyond the power of this man; and that 

he must be taken as he was; with his little foible。 



〃Yes;〃 she said; 〃you have guessed the truth; that suitor 

and amorous swain; Jacob; did not come on my account。〃 



〃And what did he come for?〃 Cornelius anxiously asked。 



〃He came for the sake of the tulip。〃 



〃Alas!〃 said Cornelius; growing even paler at this piece of 

information than he had been when Rosa; a fortnight before; 

had told him that Jacob was coming for her sake。 



Rosa saw this alarm; and Cornelius guessed; from the 

expression of her face; in what direction her thoughts were 

running。 



〃Oh; pardon me; Rosa!〃 he said; 〃I know you; and I am well 

aware of the kindness and sincerity of your heart。 To you 

God has given the thought and strength for defending 

yourself; but to my poor tulip; when it is in danger; God 

has given nothing of the sort。〃 



Rosa; without replying to this excuse of the prisoner; 

continued;  



〃From the moment when I first knew that you were uneasy on 

account of the man who followed me; and in whom I had 

recognized Jacob; I was even more uneasy myself。 On the day; 

therefore; after that on which I saw you last; and on which 

you said  〃 



Cornelius interrupted her。 



〃Once more; pardon me; Rosa!〃 he cried。 〃I was wrong in 

saying to you what I said。 I have asked your pardon for that 

unfortunate speech before。 I ask it again: shall I always 

ask it in vain?〃 



〃On the following day;〃 Rosa continued; 〃remembering what 

you had told me about the stratagem which I was to employ to 

ascertain whether that odious man was after the tulip; or 

after me  〃 



〃Yes; yes; odious。 Tell me;〃 he said; 〃do you hate that 

man?〃 



〃I do hate him;〃 said Rosa; 〃as he is the cause of all the 

unhappiness I have suffered these eight days。〃 



〃You; too; have been unhappy; Rosa? I thank you a thousand 

times for this kind confession。〃 



〃Well; on the day after that unfortunate one; I went down 

into the garden and proceeded towards the border where I was 

to plant your tulip; looking round all the while to see 

whether I was again followed as I was last time。〃 



〃And then?〃 Cornelius asked。 



〃And then the same shadow glided between the gate and the 

wall; and once more disappeared behind the elder…trees。〃 



〃You feigned not to see him; didn't you?〃 Cornelius asked; 

remembering all the details of the advice which he had given 

to Rosa。 



〃Yes; and I stooped over the border; in which I dug with a 

spade; as if I was going to put the bulb in。〃 



〃And he;  what did he do during all this time?〃 



〃I saw his eyes glisten through the branches of the tree 

like those of a tiger。〃 



〃There you see; there you see!〃 cried Cornelius。 



〃Then; after having finished my make…believe work; I 

retired。〃 



〃But only behind the garden door; I dare say; so that you 

might see through the keyhole what he was going to do when 

you had left?〃 



〃He waited for a moment; very likely to make sure of my not 

coming back; after which he sneaked forth from his 

hiding…place; and approached the border by a long 

round…about; at last; having reached his goal; that is to 

say; the spot where the ground was newly turned; he stopped 

with a careless air; looking about in all directions; and 

scanning every corner of the garden; every window of the 

neighbouring houses; and even the sky; after which; thinking 

himself quite alone; quite isolated; and out of everybody's 

sight; he pounced upon the border; plunged both his hands 

into the soft soil; took a handful of the mould; which he 

gently frittered between his fingers to see whether the bulb 

was in it; and repeated the same thing twice or three times; 

until at last he perceived that he was outwitted。 Then; 

keeping down the agitation which was raging in his breast; 

he too

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的