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第35节

the black tulip-第35节

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playing such a trick;〃 said Rosa。 



〃And if on your return you find it open?〃 



〃Well?〃 



〃Oh; Rosa; whenever it opens; remember that not a moment 

must be lost in apprising the President。〃 



〃And in apprising you。 Yes; I understand。〃 



Rosa sighed; yet without any bitter feeling; but rather like 

a woman who begins to understand a foible; and to accustom 

herself to it。 



〃I return to your tulip; Mynheer van Baerle; and as soon as 

it opens I will give you news; which being done the 

messenger will set out immediately。〃 



〃Rosa; Rosa; I don't know to what wonder under the sun I 

shall compare you。〃 



〃Compare me to the black tulip; and I promise you I shall 

feel very much flattered。 Good night; then; till we meet 

again; Mynheer Cornelius。〃 



〃Oh; say 'Good night; my friend。'〃 



〃Good night; my friend;〃 said Rosa; a little consoled。 



〃Say; 'My very dear friend。'〃 



〃Oh; my friend  〃 



〃Very dear friend; I entreat you; say 'very dear;' Rosa; 

very dear。〃 



〃Very dear; yes; very dear;〃 said Rosa; with a beating 

heart; beyond herself with happiness。 



〃And now that you have said 'very dear;' dear Rosa; say also 

'most happy': say 'happier and more blessed than ever man 

was under the sun。' I only lack one thing; Rosa。〃 



〃And that is?〃 



〃Your cheek;  your fresh cheek; your soft; rosy cheek。 Oh; 

Rosa; give it me of your own free will; and not by chance。 

Ah!〃 



The prisoner's prayer ended in a sigh of ecstasy; his lips 

met those of the maiden;  not by chance; nor by stratagem; 

but as Saint…Preux's was to meet the lips of Julie a hundred 

years later。 



Rosa made her escape。 



Cornelius stood with his heart upon his lips; and his face 

glued to the wicket in the door。 



He was fairly choking with happiness and joy。 He opened his 

window; and gazed long; with swelling heart; at the 

cloudless vault of heaven; and the moon; which shone like 

silver upon the two…fold stream flowing from far beyond the 

hills。 He filled his lungs with the pure; sweet air; while 

his brain dwelt upon thoughts of happiness; and his heart 

overflowed with gratitude and religious fervour。 



〃Oh Thou art always watching from on high; my God;〃 he 

cried; half prostrate; his glowing eyes fixed upon the 

stars: 〃forgive me that I almost doubted Thy existence 

during these latter days; for Thou didst hide Thy face 

behind the clouds; and wert for a moment lost to my sight; O 

Thou merciful God; Thou pitying Father everlasting! But 

to…day; this evening; and to…night; again I see Thee in all 

Thy wondrous glory in the mirror of Thy heavenly abode; and 

more clearly still in the mirror of my grateful heart。〃 



He was well again; the poor invalid; the wretched captive 

was free once more。 



During part of the night Cornelius; with his heart full of 

joy and delight; remained at his window; gazing at the 

stars; and listening for every sound。 



Then casting a glance from time to time towards the lobby; 

 



〃Down there;〃 he said; 〃is Rosa; watching like myself; and 

waiting from minute to minute; down there; under Rosa's 

eyes; is the mysterious flower; which lives; which expands; 

which opens; perhaps Rosa holds in this moment the stem of 

the tulip between her delicate fingers。 Touch it gently; 

Rosa。 Perhaps she touches with her lips its expanding 

chalice。 Touch it cautiously; Rosa; your lips are burning。 

Yes; perhaps at this moment the two objects of my dearest 

love caress each other under the eye of Heaven。〃 



At this moment; a star blazed in the southern sky; and shot 

through the whole horizon; falling down; as it were; on the 

fortress of Loewestein。 



Cornelius felt a thrill run through his frame。 



〃Ah!〃 he said; 〃here is Heaven sending a soul to my flower。〃 



And as if he had guessed correctly; nearly at that very 

moment the prisoner heard in the lobby a step light as that 

of a sylph; and the rustling of a gown; and a well…known 

voice; which said to him;  



〃Cornelius; my friend; my very dear friend; and very happy 

friend; come; come quickly。〃 



Cornelius darted with one spring from the window to the 

door; his lips met those of Rosa; who told him; with a kiss; 

 



〃It is open; it is black; here it is。〃 



〃How! here it is?〃 exclaimed Cornelius。 



〃Yes; yes; we ought indeed to run some little risk to give a 

great joy; here it is; take it。〃 



And with one hand she raised to the level of the grating a 

dark lantern; which she had lit in the meanwhile; whilst 

with the other she held to the same height the miraculous 

tulip。 



Cornelius uttered a cry; and was nearly fainting。 



〃Oh!〃 muttered he; 〃my God; my God; Thou dost reward me for 

my innocence and my captivity; as Thou hast allowed two such 

flowers to grow at the grated window of my prison!〃 



The tulip was beautiful; splendid; magnificent; its stem was 

more than eighteen inches high; it rose from out of four 

green leaves; which were as smooth and straight as iron 

lance…heads; the whole of the flower was as black and 

shining as jet。 



〃Rosa;〃 said Cornelius; almost gasping; 〃Rosa; there is not 

one moment to lose in writing the letter。〃 



〃It is written; my dearest Cornelius;〃 said Rosa。 



〃Is it; indeed?〃 



〃Whilst the tulip opened I wrote it myself; for I did not 

wish to lose a moment。 Here is the letter; and tell me 

whether you approve of it。〃 



Cornelius took the letter; and read; in a handwriting which 

was much improved even since the last little note he had 

received from Rosa; as follows:  



〃Mynheer President;  The black tulip is about to open; 

perhaps in ten minutes。 As soon as it is open; I shall send 

a messenger to you; with the request that you will come and 

fetch it in person from the fortress at Loewestein。 I am the 

daughter of the jailer; Gryphus; almost as much of a captive 

as the prisoners of my father。 I cannot; therefore; bring to 

you this wonderful flower。 This is the reason why I beg you 

to come and fetch it yourself。 



〃It is my wish that it should be called Rosa Barlaensis。 



〃It has opened; it is perfectly black; come; Mynheer 

President; come。 



〃I have the honour to be your humble servant; 



〃Rosa Gryphus。 



〃That's it; dear Rosa; that's it。 Your letter is admirable! 

I could not have written it with such beautiful simplicity。 

You will give to the committee all the information that will 

be required of you。 They will then know how the tulip has 

been grown; how much care and anxiety; and how many 

sleepless nights; it has cost。 But for the present not a 

minute must be lost。 The messenger! the messenger!〃 



〃What's the name of the President?〃 



〃Give me the letter; I will direct it。 Oh; he is very well 

known: it is Mynheer van Systens; the burgomaster of 

Haarlem; give it to me; Rosa; give it to me。〃 



And with a trembling hand Cornelius wrote the address;  



〃To Mynheer Peter van Systens; Burgomaster; and President of 

the Horticultural Society of Haarlem。〃 



〃And now; Rosa; go; go;〃 said Cornelius; 〃and let us implore 

the protection of God; who has so kindly watched over us 

until now。〃 









Chapter 23



The Rival





And in fact the poor young people were in great need of protection。 



They had never been so near the destruction of their hopes 

as at this moment; when they thought themselves certain of 

their fulfilment。 



The reader cannot but have recognized in Jacob our old 

friend; or rather enemy; Isaac Boxtel; and has guessed; no 

doubt; that this worthy had followed from the Buytenhof to 

Loewestein the object of his love and the object of his 

hatred;  the black tulip and Cornelius van Baerle。 



What no one but a tulip…fancier; and an envious 

tulip…fancier; could have discovered;  the existence of 

the bulbs and the endeavours of the prisoner;  jealousy 

had enabled Boxtel; if not to discover; at least to guess。 



We have seen him; more successful under the name of Jacob 

than under that of Isaac; gain the friendship of Gryphus; 

which for several months he cultivated by means of the best 

Genievre ever distilled from the Texel to Antwerp; and he 

lulled the suspicion of the jealous turnkey by holding out 

to him the flattering prospect of his designing to marry 

Rosa。 



Besides thus offering a bait to the ambition of the father; 

he managed; at the same time; to interest his zeal as a 

jailer; picturing to him in the blackest colours the learned 

prisoner whom Gryphus had in his keeping; and who; as the 

sham Jacob had it; was in league with Satan; to the 

detriment of his Highness the Prince of Orange。 



At first he had also made some way with Rosa; not; indeed; 

in her affections; but inasmuch as; by talking to her of 

marriage and of 

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