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the black tulip-第38节

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as may well be imagined; having informed his friend Gryphus 

of his sudden departure。 



And now; as we have seen him enter his coach; we shall with 

the consent of the reader; follow him to the end of his 

journey。 



He proceeded but slowly; as the black tulip could not bear 

travelling post…haste。 



But Boxtel; fearing that he might not arrive early enough; 

procured at Delft a box; lined all round with fresh moss; in 

which he packed the tulip。 The flower was so lightly pressed 

upon all sides; with a supply of air from above; that the 

coach could now travel full speed without any possibility of 

injury to the tulip。 



He arrived next morning at Haarlem; fatigued but triumphant; 

and; to do away with every trace of the theft; he 

transplanted the tulip; and; breaking the original 

flower…pot; threw the pieces into the canal。 After which he 

wrote the President of the Horticultural Society a letter; 

in which he announced to him that he had just arrived at 

Haarlem with a perfectly black tulip; and; with his flower 

all safe; took up his quarters at a good hotel in the town; 

and there he waited。 









Chapter 25



The President van Systens





Rosa; on leaving Cornelius; had fixed on her plan; which was 

no other than to restore to Cornelius the stolen tulip; or 

never to see him again。 



She had seen the despair of the prisoner; and she knew that 

it was derived from a double source; and that it was 

incurable。 



On the one hand; separation became inevitable;  Gryphus 

having at the same time surprised the secret of their love 

and of their secret meetings。 



On the other hand; all the hopes on the fulfilment of which 

Cornelius van Baerle had rested his ambition for the last 

seven years were now crushed。 



Rosa was one of those women who are dejected by trifles; but 

who in great emergencies are supplied by the misfortune 

itself with the energy for combating or with the resources 

for remedying it。 



She went to her room; and cast a last glance about her to 

see whether she had not been mistaken; and whether the tulip 

was not stowed away in some corner where it had escaped her 

notice。 But she sought in vain; the tulip was still missing; 

the tulip was indeed stolen。 



Rosa made up a little parcel of things indispensable for a 

journey; took her three hundred guilders;  that is to say; 

all her fortune;  fetched the third bulb from among her 

lace; where she had laid it up; and carefully hid it in her 

bosom; after which she locked her door twice to disguise her 

flight as long as possible; and; leaving the prison by the 

same door which an hour before had let out Boxtel; she went 

to a stable…keeper to hire a carriage。 



The man had only a two…wheel chaise; and this was the 

vehicle which Boxtel had hired since last evening; and in 

which he was now driving along the road to Delft; for the 

road from Loewestein to Haarlem; owing to the many canals; 

rivers; and rivulets intersecting the country; is 

exceedingly circuitous。 



Not being able to procure a vehicle; Rosa was obliged to 

take a horse; with which the stable…keeper readily intrusted 

her; knowing her to be the daughter of the jailer of the 

fortress。 



Rosa hoped to overtake her messenger; a kind…hearted and 

honest lad; whom she would take with her; and who might at 

the same time serve her as a guide and a protector。 



And in fact she had not proceeded more than a league before 

she saw him hastening along one of the side paths of a very 

pretty road by the river。 Setting her horse off at a canter; 

she soon came up with him。 



The honest lad was not aware of the important character of 

his message; nevertheless; he used as much speed as if he 

had known it; and in less than an hour he had already gone a 

league and a half。 



Rosa took from him the note; which had now become useless; 

and explained to him what she wanted him to do for her。 The 

boatman placed himself entirely at her disposal; promising 

to keep pace with the horse if Rosa would allow him to take 

hold of either the croup or the bridle of her horse。 The two 

travellers had been on their way for five hours; and made 

more than eight leagues; and yet Gryphus had not the least 

suspicion of his daughter having left the fortress。 



The jailer; who was of a very spiteful and cruel 

disposition; chuckled within himself at the idea of having 

struck such terror into his daughter's heart。 



But whilst he was congratulating himself on having such a 

nice story to tell to his boon companion; Jacob; that worthy 

was on his road to Delft; and; thanks to the swiftness of 

the horse; had already the start of Rosa and her companion 

by four leagues。 



And whilst the affectionate father was rejoicing at the 

thought of his daughter weeping in her room; Rosa was making 

the best of her way towards Haarlem。 



Thus the prisoner alone was where Gryphus thought him to be。 



Rosa was so little with her father since she took care of 

the tulip; that at his dinner hour; that is to say; at 

twelve o'clock; he was reminded for the first time by his 

appetite that his daughter was fretting rather too long。 



He sent one of the under…turnkeys to call her; and; when the 

man came back to tell him that he had called and sought her 

in vain; he resolved to go and call her himself。 



He first went to her room; but; loud as he knocked; Rosa 

answered not。 



The locksmith of the fortress was sent for; he opened the 

door; but Gryphus no more found Rosa than she had found the 

tulip。 



At that very moment she entered Rotterdam。 



Gryphus therefore had just as little chance of finding her 

in the kitchen as in her room; and just as little in the 

garden as in the kitchen。 



The reader may imagine the anger of the jailer when; after 

having made inquiries about the neighbourhood; he heard that 

his daughter had hired a horse; and; like an adventuress; 

set out on a journey without saying where she was going。 



Gryphus again went up in his fury to Van Baerle; abused him; 

threatened him; knocked all the miserable furniture of his 

cell about; and promised him all sorts of misery; even 

starvation and flogging。 



Cornelius; without even hearing what his jailer said; 

allowed himself to be ill…treated; abused; and threatened; 

remaining all the while sullen; immovable; dead to every 

emotion and fear。 



After having sought for Rosa in every direction; Gryphus 

looked out for Jacob; and; as he could not find him either; 

he began to suspect from that moment that Jacob had run away 

with her。 



The damsel; meanwhile; after having stopped for two hours at 

Rotterdam; had started again on her journey。 On that evening 

she slept at Delft; and on the following morning she reached 

Haarlem; four hours after Boxtel had arrived there。 



Rosa; first of all; caused herself to be led before Mynheer 

van Systens; the President of the Horticultural Society of 

Haarlem。 



She found that worthy gentleman in a situation which; to do 

justice to our story; we must not pass over in our 

description。 



The President was drawing up a report to the committee of 

the society。 



This report was written on large…sized paper; in the finest 

handwriting of the President。 



Rosa was announced simply as Rosa Gryphus; but as her name; 

well as it might sound; was unknown to the President; she 

was refused admittance。 



Rosa; however; was by no means abashed; having vowed in her 

heart; in pursuing her cause; not to allow herself to be put 

down either by refusal; or abuse; or even brutality。 



〃Announce to the President;〃 she said to the servant; 〃that 

I want to speak to him about the black tulip。〃 



These words seemed to be an 〃Open Sesame;〃 for she soon 

found herself in the office of the President; Van Systens; 

who gallantly rose from his chair to meet her。 



He was a spare little man; resembling the stem of a flower; 

his head forming its chalice; and his two limp arms 

representing the double leaf of the tulip; the resemblance 

was rendered complete by his waddling gait which made him 

even more like that flower when it bends under a breeze。 



〃Well; miss;〃 he said; 〃you are coming; I am told; about the 

affair of the black tulip。〃 



To the President of the Horticultural Society the Tulipa 

nigra was a first…rate power; which; in its character as 

queen of the tulips; might send ambassadors。 



〃Yes; sir;〃 answered Rosa; 〃I come at least to speak of it。〃 



〃Is it doing well; then?〃 asked Van Systens; with a smile of 

tender veneration。 



〃Alas! sir; I don't know;〃 said Rosa。 



〃How is that? could any misfortune have happened to it?〃 



〃A very great one; sir; yet not to it; but to me。〃 



〃What?〃 



〃It has been

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