the black tulip-第36节

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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　love；　he　had　evaded　all　the　suspicions　which　

he　might　otherwise　have　excited。　



We　have　seen　how　his　imprudence　in　following　Rosa　into　the　

garden　had　unmasked　him　in　the　eyes　of　the　young　damsel；　and　

how　the　instinctive　fears　of　Cornelius　had　put　the　two　

lovers　on　their　guard　against　him。　



The　reader　will　remember　that　the　first　cause　of　uneasiness　

was　given　to　the　prisoner　by　the　rage　of　Jacob　when　Gryphus　

crushed　the　first　bulb。　In　that　moment　Boxtel's　exasperation　

was　the　more　fierce；　as；　though　suspecting　that　Cornelius　

possessed　a　second　bulb；　he　by　no　means　felt　sure　of　it。　



From　that　moment　he　began　to　dodge　the　steps　of　Rosa；　not　

only　following　her　to　the　garden；　but　also　to　the　lobbies。　



Only　as　this　time　he　followed　her　in　the　night；　and　

bare…footed；　he　was　neither　seen　nor　heard　except　once；　when　

Rosa　thought　she　saw　something　like　a　shadow　on　the　

staircase。　



Her　discovery；　however；　was　made　too　late；　as　Boxtel　had　

heard　from　the　mouth　of　the　prisoner　himself　that　a　second　

bulb　existed。　



Taken　in　by　the　stratagem　of　Rosa；　who　had　feigned　to　put　it　

in　the　ground；　and　entertaining　no　doubt　that　this　little　

farce　had　been　played　in　order　to　force　him　to　betray　

himself；　he　redoubled　his　precaution；　and　employed　every　

means　suggested　by　his　crafty　nature　to　watch　the　others　

without　being　watched　himself。　



He　saw　Rosa　conveying　a　large　flower…pot　of　white　

earthenware　from　her　father's　kitchen　to　her　bedroom。　He　saw　

Rosa　washing　in　pails　of　water　her　pretty　little　hands；　

begrimed　as　they　were　with　the　mould　which　she　had　handled；　

to　give　her　tulip　the　best　soil　possible。　



And　at　last　he　hired；　just　opposite　Rosa's　window；　a　little　

attic；　distant　enough　not　to　allow　him　to　be　recognized　with　

the　naked　eye；　but　sufficiently　near　to　enable　him；　with　the　

help　of　his　telescope；　to　watch　everything　that　was　going　on　

at　the　Loewestein　in　Rosa's　room；　just　as　at　Dort　he　had　

watched　the　dry…room　of　Cornelius。　



He　had　not　been　installed　more　than　three　days　in　his　attic　

before　all　his　doubts　were　removed。　



From　morning　to　sunset　the　flower…pot　was　in　the　window；　

and；　like　those　charming　female　figures　of　Mieris　and　

Metzys；　Rosa　appeared　at　that　window　as　in　a　frame；　formed　

by　the　first　budding　sprays　of　the　wild　vine　and　the　

honeysuckle　encircling　her　window。　



Rosa　watched　the　flower…pot　with　an　interest　which　betrayed　

to　Boxtel　the　real　value　of　the　object　enclosed　in　it。　



This　object　could　not　be　anything　else　but　the　second　bulb；　

that　is　to　say；　the　quintessence　of　all　the　hopes　of　the　

prisoner。　



When　the　nights　threatened　to　be　too　cold；　Rosa　took　in　the　

flower…pot。　



Well；　it　was　then　quite　evident　she　was　following　the　

instructions　of　Cornelius；　who　was　afraid　of　the　bulb　being　

killed　by　frost。　



When　the　sun　became　too　hot；　Rosa　likewise　took　in　the　pot　

from　eleven　in　the　morning　until　two　in　the　afternoon。　



Another　proof：　Cornelius　was　afraid　lest　the　soil　should　

become　too　dry。　



But　when　the　first　leaves　peeped　out　of　the　earth　Boxtel　was　

fully　convinced；　and　his　telescope　left　him　no　longer　in　any　

uncertainty　before　they　had　grown　one　inch　in　height。　



Cornelius　possessed　two　bulbs；　and　the　second　was　intrusted　

to　the　love　and　care　of　Rosa。　



For　it　may　well　be　imagined　that　the　tender　secret　of　the　

two　lovers　had　not　escaped　the　prying　curiosity　of　Boxtel。　



The　question；　therefore；　was　how　to　wrest　the　second　bulb　

from　the　care　of　Rosa。　



Certainly　this　was　no　easy　task。　



Rosa　watched　over　her　tulip　as　a　mother　over　her　child；　or　a　

dove　over　her　eggs。　



Rosa　never　left　her　room　during　the　day；　and；　more　than　

that；　strange　to　say；　she　never　left　it　in　the　evening。　



For　seven　days　Boxtel　in　vain　watched　Rosa；　she　was　always　

at　her　post。　



This　happened　during　those　seven　days　which　made　Cornelius　

so　unhappy；　depriving　him　at　the　same　time　of　all　news　of　

Rosa　and　of　his　tulip。　



Would　the　coolness　between　Rosa　and　Cornelius　last　for　ever？　



This　would　have　made　the　theft　much　more　difficult　than　

Mynheer　Isaac　had　at　first　expected。　



We　say　the　theft；　for　Isaac　had　simply　made　up　his　mind　to　

steal　the　tulip；　and　as　it　grew　in　the　most　profound　

secrecy；　and　as；　moreover；　his　word；　being　that　of　a　

renowned　tulip…grower；　would　any　day　be　taken　against　that　

of　an　unknown　girl　without　any　knowledge　of　horticulture；　or　

against　that　of　a　prisoner　convicted　of　high　treason；　he　

confidently　hoped　that；　having　once　got　possession　of　the　

bulb；　he　would　be　certain　to　obtain　the　prize；　and　then　the　

tulip；　instead　of　being　called　Tulipa　nigra　Barlaensis；　

would　go　down　to　posterity　under　the　name　of　Tulipa　nigra　

Boxtellensis　or　Boxtellea。　



Mynheer　Isaac　had　not　yet　quite　decided　which　of　these　two　

names　he　would　give　to　the　tulip；　but；　as　both　meant　the　

same　thing；　this　was；　after　all；　not　the　important　point。　



The　point　was　to　steal　the　tulip。　But　in　order　that　Boxtel　

might　steal　the　tulip；　it　was　necessary　that　Rosa　should　

leave　her　room。　



Great　therefore　was　his　joy　when　he　saw　the　usual　evening　

meetings　of　the　lovers　resumed。　



He　first　of　all　took　advantage　of　Rosa's　absence　to　make　

himself　fully　acquainted　with　all　the　peculiarities　of　the　

door　of　her　chamber。　The　lock　was　a　double　one　and　in　good　

order；　but　Rosa　always　took　the　key　with　her。　



Boxtel　at　first　entertained　an　idea　of　stealing　the　key；　but　

it　soon　occurred　to　him；　not　only　that　it　would　be　

exceedingly　difficult　to　abstract　it　from　her　pocket；　but　

also　that；　when　she　perceived　her　loss；　she　would　not　leave　

her　room　until　the　lock　was　changed；　and　then　Boxtel's　first　

theft　would　be　useless。　



He　thought　it；　therefore；　better　to　employ　a　different　

expedient。　He　collected　as　many　keys　as　he　could；　and　tried　

all　of　them　during　one　of　those　delightful　hours　which　Rosa　

and　Cornelius　passed　together　at　the　grating　of　the　cell。　



Two　of　the　keys　entered　the　lock；　and　one　of　them　turned　

round　once；　but　not　the　second　time。　



There　was；　therefore；　only　a　little　to　be　done　to　this　key。　



Boxtel　covered　it　with　a　slight　coat　of　wax；　and　when　he　

thus　renewed　the　experiment；　the　obstacle　which　prevented　

the　key　from　being　turned　a　second　time　left　its　impression　

on　the　wax。　



It　cost　Boxtel　two　days　more　to　bring　his　key　to　perfection；　

with　the　aid　of　a　small　file。　



Rosa's　door　thus　opened　without　noise　and　without　

difficulty；　and　Boxtel　found　himself　in　her　room　alone　with　

the　tulip。　



The　first　guilty　act　of　Boxtel　had　been　to　climb　over　a　wall　

in　order　to　dig　up　the　tulip；　the　second；　to　introduce　

himself　into　the　dry…room　of　Cornelius；　through　an　open　

window；　and　the　third；　to　enter　Rosa's　room　by　means　of　a　

false　key。　



Thus　envy　urged　Boxtel　on　with　rapid　steps　in　the　career　of　

crime。　



Boxtel；　as　we　have　said；　was　alone　with　the　tulip。　



A　common　thief　would　have　taken　the　pot　under　his　arm；　and　

carried　it　off。　



But　Boxtel　was　not　a　common　thief；　and　he　reflected。　



It　was　not　yet　certain；　although　very　probable；　that　the　

tulip　would　flower　black；　if；　therefore；　he　stole　it　now；　he　

not　only　might　be　committing　a　useless　crime；　but　also　the　

theft　might　be　discovered　in　the　time　which　must　elapse　

until　the　flower　should　open。　



He　therefore　　as　being　in　possession　of　the　key；　he　might　

enter　Rosa's　chamber　whenever　he　liked　　thought　it　better　

to　wait　and　to　take　it　either　an　hour　before　or　after　

opening；　and　to　start　on　the　instant　to　Haarlem；　where　the　

tulip　would　be　before　the　judges　of　the　committee　before　any　

one　else　could　put　in　a　reclamation。　



Should　any　one　then　reclaim　it；　Boxtel　would　in　his　turn　

charge　him　or　her　with　theft。　



This　was　a　deep…laid　scheme；　and　quite　worthy　of　its　author。　



Thus；　every　evening　during　that　delightful　hour　which　the　

two　lovers　passed　together　at　the　grated　window；　Boxtel　

entered　Rosa's　chamber　to　watch　the　progress　which　the　black　

tulip　had　made　towards　flowering。　



On　the　evening　at　which　we　have　arrived　he　was　going　to　

enter　according　to　custom；　but　the　two　lovers；　as　we　have　

seen；　only　exchanged　a　few　words　before　Cornelius　sent　Rosa　

back　to　watch　over　the　tulip。　



Seeing　Rosa　enter　her　room　ten　minutes　after　she　had　left　

it；　Boxtel　guessed　that　the　tulip　had　opened；　or　was　about　

to　open。　



During　that　night；　therefore；　the　great　blow　was　to　be　

struck。　Boxtel　presented　himself　before　Gryphus　with　a　

double　supply　of　Genievre；　that　is　to　say；　with　a　bottle　in　

each　pocket。　



Gryphus　being　once　fuddled；　Boxtel　was　very　nearly　master　of