the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第12节

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to　dark　brown。　

By　the　next　year　he　had　obtained　flowers　of　a　perfect　
nut…brown；　and　Boxtel　espied　them　in　the　border；　whereas　he　
had　himself　as　yet　only　succeeded　in　producing　the　light　
brown。　

It　might　perhaps　be　interesting　to　explain　to　the　gentle　
reader　the　beautiful　chain　of　theories　which　go　to　prove　
that　the　tulip　borrows　its　colors　from　the　elements；　perhaps　
we　should　give　him　pleasure　if　we　were　to　maintain　and　
establish　that　nothing　is　impossible　for　a　florist　who　
avails　himself　with　judgment　and　discretion　and　patience　of　
the　sun's　heat；　the　clear　water；　the　juices　of　the　earth；　
and　the　cool　breezes。　But　this　is　not　a　treatise　upon　tulips　
in　general；　it　is　the　story　of　one　particular　tulip　which　we　
have　undertaken　to　write；　and　to　that　we　limit　ourselves；　
however　alluring　the　subject　which　is　so　closely　allied　to　
ours。　

Boxtel；　once　more　worsted　by　the　superiority　of　his　hated　
rival；　was　now　completely　disgusted　with　tulip…growing；　and；　
being　driven　half　mad；　devoted　himself　entirely　to　
observation。　

The　house　of　his　rival　was　quite　open　to　view；　a　garden　
exposed　to　the　sun；　cabinets　with　glass　walls；　shelves；　
cupboards；　boxes；　and　ticketed　pigeon…holes；　which　could　
easily　be　surveyed　by　the　telescope。　Boxtel　allowed　his　
bulbs　to　rot　in　the　pits；　his　seedlings　to　dry　up　in　their　
cases；　and　his　tulips　to　wither　in　the　borders　and　
henceforward　occupied　himself　with　nothing　else　but　the　
doings　at　Van　Baerle's。　He　breathed　through　the　stalks　of　
Van　Baerle's　tulips；　quenched　his　thirst　with　the　water　he　
sprinkled　upon　them；　and　feasted　on　the　fine　soft　earth　
which　his　neighbour　scattered　upon　his　cherished　bulbs。　

But　the　most　curious　part　of　the　operations　was　not　
performed　in　the　garden。　

It　might　be　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　Van　Baerle　went　
up　to　his　laboratory；　into　the　glazed　cabinet　whither　
Boxtel's　telescope　had　such　an　easy　access；　and　here；　as　
soon　as　the　lamp　illuminated　the　walls　and　windows；　Boxtel　
saw　the　inventive　genius　of　his　rival　at　work。　

He　beheld　him　sifting　his　seeds；　and　soaking　them　in　liquids　
which　were　destined　to　modify　or　to　deepen　their　colours。　He　
knew　what　Cornelius　meant　when　heating　certain　grains；　then　
moistening　them；　then　combining　them　with　others　by　a　sort　
of　grafting；　　a　minute　and　marvellously　delicate　
manipulation；　　and　when　he　shut　up　in　darkness　those　which　
were　expected　to　furnish　the　black　colour；　exposed　to　the　
sun　or　to　the　lamp　those　which　were　to　produce　red；　and　
placed　between　the　endless　reflections　of　two　water…mirrors　
those　intended　for　white；　the　pure　representation　of　the　
limpid　element。　

This　innocent　magic；　the　fruit　at　the　same　time　of　
child…like　musings　and　of　manly　genius　　this　patient　
untiring　labour；　of　which　Boxtel　knew　himself　to　be　
incapable　　made　him；　gnawed　as　he　was　with　envy；　centre　
all　his　life；　all　his　thoughts；　and　all　his　hopes　in　his　
telescope。　

For；　strange　to　say；　the　love　and　interest　of　horticulture　
had　not　deadened　in　Isaac　his　fierce　envy　and　thirst　of　
revenge。　Sometimes；　whilst　covering　Van　Baerle　with　his　
telescope；　he　deluded　himself　into　a　belief　that　he　was　
levelling　a　never…failing　musket　at　him；　and　then　he　would　
seek　with　his　finger　for　the　trigger　to　fire　the　shot　which　
was　to　have　killed　his　neighbour。　But　it　is　time　that　we　
should　connect　with　this　epoch　of　the　operations　of　the　one；　
and　the　espionage　of　the　other；　the　visit　which　Cornelius　de　
Witt　came　to　pay　to　his　native　town。　




Chapter　7

The　Happy　Man　makes　Acquaintance　with　Misfortune


Cornelius　de　Witt；　after　having　attended　to　his　family　
affairs；　reached　the　house　of　his　godson；　Cornelius　van　
Baerle；　one　evening　in　the　month　of　January；　1672。　

De　Witt；　although　being　very　little　of　a　horticulturist　or　
of　an　artist；　went　over　the　whole　mansion；　from　the　studio　
to　the　green…house；　inspecting　everything；　from　the　pictures　
down　to　the　tulips。　He　thanked　his　godson　for　having　joined　
him　on　the　deck　of　the　admiral's　ship　〃The　Seven　Provinces；〃　
during　the　battle　of　Southwold　Bay；　and　for　having　given　his　
name　to　a　magnificent　tulip；　and　whilst　he　thus；　with　the　
kindness　and　affability　of　a　father　to　a　son；　visited　Van　
Baerle's　treasures；　the　crowd　gathered　with　curiosity；　and　
even　respect；　before　the　door　of　the　happy　man。　

All　this　hubbub　excited　the　attention　of　Boxtel；　who　was　
just　taking　his　meal　by　his　fireside。　He　inquired　what　it　
meant；　and；　on　being　informed　of　the　cause　of　all　this　stir；　
climbed　up　to　his　post　of　observation；　where　in　spite　of　the　
cold；　he　took　his　stand；　with　the　telescope　to　his　eye。　

This　telescope　had　not　been　of　great　service　to　him　since　
the　autumn　of　1671。　The　tulips；　like　true　daughters　of　the　
East；　averse　to　cold；　do　not　abide　in　the　open　ground　in　
winter。　They　need　the　shelter　of　the　house；　the　soft　bed　on　
the　shelves；　and　the　congenial　warmth　of　the　stove。　Van　
Baerle；　therefore；　passed　the　whole　winter　in　his　
laboratory；　in　the　midst　of　his　books　and　pictures。　He　went　
only　rarely　to　the　room　where　he　kept　his　bulbs；　unless　it　
were　to　allow　some　occasional　rays　of　the　sun　to　enter；　by　
opening　one　of　the　movable　sashes　of　the　glass　front。　

On　the　evening　of　which　we　are　speaking；　after　the　two　
Corneliuses　had　visited　together　all　the　apartments　of　the　
house；　whilst　a　train　of　domestics　followed　their　steps；　De　
Witt　said　in　a　low　voice　to　Van　Baerle；　　

〃My　dear　son；　send　these　people　away；　and　let　us　be　alone　
for　some　minutes。〃　

The　younger　Cornelius；　bowing　assent；　said　aloud；　　

〃Would　you　now；　sir；　please　to　see　my　dry…room？〃　

The　dry…room；　this　pantheon；　this　sanctum　sanctorum　of　the　
tulip…fancier；　was；　as　Delphi　of　old；　interdicted　to　the　
profane　uninitiated。　

Never　had　any　of　his　servants　been　bold　enough　to　set　his　
foot　there。　Cornelius　admitted　only　the　inoffensive　broom　of　
an　old　Frisian　housekeeper；　who　had　been　his　nurse；　and　who　
from　the　time　when　he　had　devoted　himself　to　the　culture　of　
tulips　ventured　no　longer　to　put　onions　in　his　stews；　for　
fear　of　pulling　to　pieces　and　mincing　the　idol　of　her　foster　
child。　

At　the　mere　mention　of　the　dry…room；　therefore；　the　servants　
who　were　carrying　the　lights　respectfully　fell　back。　
Cornelius；　taking　the　candlestick　from　the　hands　of　the　
foremost；　conducted　his　godfather　into　that　room；　which　was　
no　other　than　that　very　cabinet　with　a　glass　front　into　
which　Boxtel　was　continually　prying　with　his　telescope。　

The　envious　spy　was　watching　more　intently　than　ever。　

First　of　all　he　saw　the　walls　and　windows　lit　up。　

Then　two　dark　figures　appeared。　

One　of　them；　tall；　majestic；　stern；　sat　down　near　the　table　
on　which　Van　Baerle　had　placed　the　taper。　

In　this　figure；　Boxtel　recognised　the　pale　features　of　
Cornelius　de　Witt；　whose　long　hair；　parted　in　front；　fell　
over　his　shoulders。　

De　Witt；　after　having　said　some　few　words　to　Cornelius；　the　
meaning　of　which　the　prying　neighbour　could　not　read　in　the　
movement　of　his　lips；　took　from　his　breast　pocket　a　white　
parcel；　carefully　sealed；　which　Boxtel；　judging　from　the　
manner　in　which　Cornelius　received　it；　and　placed　it　in　one　
of　the　presses；　supposed　to　contain　papers　of　the　greatest　
importance。　

His　first　thought　was　that　this　precious　deposit　enclosed　
some　newly　imported　bulbs　from　Bengal　or　Ceylon；　but　he　soon　
reflected　that　Cornelius　de　Witt　was　very　little　addicted　to　
tulip…growing；　and　that　he　only　occupied　himself　with　the　
affairs　of　man；　a　pursuit　by　far　less　peaceful　and　agreeable　
than　that　of　the　florist。　He　therefore　came　to　the　
conclusion　that　the　parcel　contained　simply　some　papers；　and　
that　these　papers　were　relating　to　politics。　

But　why　should　papers　of　political　import　be　intrusted　to　
Van　Baerle；　who　not　only　was；　but　also　boasted　of　being；　an　
entire　stranger　to　the　science　of　government；　which；　in　his　
opinion；　was　more　occult　than　alchemy　itself？　

It　was　undoubtedly　a　deposit　which　Cornelius　de　Witt；　
already　threatened　by　the　unpopularity　with　which　his　
countrymen　were　going　to　honour　him；　was　placing　in　the　
hands　of　his　godson；　a　contrivance　so　much　the　more　cleverly　
devised；　as　it　certainly　was　not　at　all　likely　that　it　
should　be　searched　for　at　the　house　of　one　who　had　always　
stood　aloof　from　every　sort　of　intrigue。　

And；　besides；　if　the　parcel　had　been　made　up　of　bulbs；　
Boxtel　knew　his　neighbour　too　well　not　to　expect　that　Van　
Baerle　would　not　have　lost　one　moment　in　satisfying　his　
curiosity　and　feasting　his　eyes　on　the　present　which　he　had　
received。　

But；　on　the　contrary；　Cornelius　had　received　the　parcel　from　
the　hands　of　his　godfather　with　every　mark　of　respect；　and　
put　it　by　with　the　same　respectful　manner　in　a　drawer；　
stowing　it　away　so　that　it　should　not　take　up　too　much　of　
the　room　which　was　reserved　to　his　bulbs。　

The　parcel　thus　being　secreted；　Cornelius　de　Witt　got　up；　
pressed　the　hand　of　his　godson；　and　turned　towards　the　door；　
Van　Baerle　seizing　the　candlestick；　and　lighting　him　on　his　
way　down　to　the　street；　which　was　still　crowded　with　people　
who　wished　to　s