the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第14节
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〃Arrest me？ arrest me； do you say？〃
〃Yes； sir； and they are headed by a magistrate。〃
〃What's the meaning of all this？〃 said Van Baerle； grasping
in his hands the two bulbs； and directing his terrified
glance towards the staircase。
〃They are coming up！ they are coming up！〃 cried the servant。
〃Oh； my dear child； my worthy master！〃 cried the old
housekeeper； who now likewise made her appearance in the
dry…room； 〃take your gold； your jewelry； and fly； fly！〃
〃But how shall I make my escape； nurse？〃 said Van Baerle。
〃Jump out of the window。〃
〃Twenty…five feet from the ground！〃
〃But you will fall on six feet of soft soil！〃
〃Yes； but I should fall on my tulips。〃
〃Never mind； jump out。〃
Cornelius took the third bulb； approached the window and
opened it； but seeing what havoc he would necessarily cause
in his borders； and； more than this； what a height he would
have to jump； he called out； 〃Never！〃 and fell back a step。
At this moment they saw across the banister of the staircase
the points of the halberds of the soldiers rising。
The housekeeper raised her hands to heaven。
As to Cornelius van Baerle； it must be stated to his honour；
not as a man； but as a tulip…fancier； his only thought was
for his inestimable bulbs。
Looking about for a paper in which to wrap them up； he
noticed the fly…leaf from the Bible； which Craeke had laid
upon the table； took it without in his confusion remembering
whence it came； folded in it the three bulbs； secreted them
in his bosom； and waited。
At this very moment the soldiers； preceded by a magistrate；
entered the room。
〃Are you Dr。 Cornelius van Baerle？〃 demanded the magistrate
（who； although knowing the young man very well； put his
question according to the forms of justice； which gave his
proceedings a much more dignified air）。
〃I am that person； Master van Spennen；〃 answered Cornelius；
politely； to his judge； 〃and you know it very well。〃
〃Then give up to us the seditious papers which you secrete
in your house。〃
〃The seditious papers！〃 repeated Cornelius； quite dumfounded
at the imputation。
〃Now don't look astonished； if you please。〃
〃I vow to you； Master van Spennen； 〃Cornelius replied； 〃that
I am completely at a loss to understand what you want。〃
〃Then I shall put you in the way； Doctor；〃 said the judge；
〃give up to us the papers which the traitor Cornelius de
Witt deposited with you in the month of January last。〃
A sudden light came into the mind of Cornelius。
〃Halloa！〃 said Van Spennen； 〃you begin now to remember；
don't you？〃
〃Indeed I do； but you spoke of seditious papers； and I have
none of that sort。〃
〃You deny it then？〃
〃Certainly I do。〃
The magistrate turned round and took a rapid survey of the
whole cabinet。
〃Where is the apartment you call your dry…room？〃 he asked。
〃The very same where you now are； Master van Spennen。〃
The magistrate cast a glance at a small note at the top of
his papers。
〃All right；〃 he said； like a man who is sure of his ground。
Then； turning round towards Cornelius； he continued； 〃Will
you give up those papers to me？〃
〃But I cannot； Master van Spennen； those papers do not
belong to me； they have been deposited with me as a trust；
and a trust is sacred。〃
〃Dr。 Cornelius；〃 said the judge； 〃in the name of the States；
I order you to open this drawer； and to give up to me the
papers which it contains。〃
Saying this； the judge pointed with his finger to the third
drawer of the press； near the fireplace。
In this very drawer； indeed the papers deposited by the
Warden of the Dikes with his godson were lying； a proof that
the police had received very exact information。
〃Ah！ you will not；〃 said Van Spennen； when he saw Cornelius
standing immovable and bewildered； 〃then I shall open the
drawer myself。〃
And； pulling out the drawer to its full length； the
magistrate at first alighted on about twenty bulbs；
carefully arranged and ticketed； and then on the paper
parcel； which had remained in exactly the same state as it
was when delivered by the unfortunate Cornelius de Witt to
his godson。
The magistrate broke the seals； tore off the envelope； cast
an eager glance on the first leaves which met his eye and
then exclaimed； in a terrible voice；
〃Well； justice has been rightly informed after all！〃
〃How；〃 said Cornelius； 〃how is this？〃
〃Don't pretend to be ignorant； Mynheer van Baerle；〃 answered
the magistrate。 〃Follow me。〃
〃How's that！ follow you？〃 cried the Doctor。
〃Yes； sir； for in the name of the States I arrest you。〃
Arrests were not as yet made in the name of William of
Orange； he had not been Stadtholder long enough for that。
〃Arrest me！〃 cried Cornelius； 〃but what have I done？〃
〃That's no affair of mine； Doctor； you will explain all that
before your judges。〃
〃Where？〃
〃At the Hague。〃
Cornelius； in mute stupefaction； embraced his old nurse； who
was in a swoon； shook hands with his servants； who were
bathed in tears； and followed the magistrate； who put him in
a coach as a prisoner of state and had him driven at full
gallop to the Hague。
Chapter 8
An Invasion
The incident just related was； as the reader has guessed
before this； the diabolical work of Mynheer Isaac Boxtel。
It will be remembered that； with the help of his telescope；
not even the least detail of the private meeting between
Cornelius de Witt and Van Baerle had escaped him。 He had；
indeed； heard nothing； but he had seen everything； and had
rightly concluded that the papers intrusted by the Warden to
the Doctor must have been of great importance； as he saw Van
Baerle so carefully secreting the parcel in the drawer where
he used to keep his most precious bulbs。
The upshot of all this was that when Boxtel； who watched the
course of political events much more attentively than his
neighbour Cornelius was used to do； heard the news of the
brothers De Witt being arrested on a charge of high treason
against the States； he thought within his heart that very
likely he needed only to say one word； and the godson would
be arrested as well as the godfather。
Yet； full of happiness as was Boxtel's heart at the chance；
he at first shrank with horror from the idea of informing
against a man whom this information might lead to the
scaffold。
But there is this terrible thing in evil thoughts； that evil
minds soon grow familiar with them。
Besides this； Mynheer Isaac Boxtel encouraged himself with
the following sophism：
〃Cornelius de Witt is a bad citizen； as he is charged with
high treason； and arrested。
〃I； on the contrary； am a good citizen； as I am not charged
with anything in the world； as I am as free as the air of
heaven。〃
〃If； therefore； Cornelius de Witt is a bad citizen； of
which there can be no doubt； as he is charged with high
treason； and arrested； his accomplice； Cornelius van
Baerle； is no less a bad citizen than himself。
〃And； as I am a good citizen； and as it is the duty of every
good citizen to inform against the bad ones； it is my duty
to inform against Cornelius van Baerle。〃
Specious as this mode of reasoning might sound； it would not
perhaps have taken so complete a hold of Boxtel； nor would
he perhaps have yielded to the mere desire of vengeance
which was gnawing at his heart； had not the demon of envy
been joined with that of cupidity。
Boxtel was quite aware of the progress which Van Baerle had
made towards producing the grand black tulip。
Dr。 Cornelius； notwithstanding all his modesty； had not been
able to hide from his most intimate friends that he was all
but certain to win； in the year of grace 1673； the prize of
a hundred thousand guilders offered by the Horticultural
Society of Haarlem。
It was just this certainty of Cornelius van Baerle that
caused the fever which raged in the heart of Isaac Boxtel。
If Cornelius should be arrested there would necessarily be a
great upset in his house； and during the night after his
arrest no one would think of keeping watch over the tulips
in his garden。
Now in that night Boxtel would climb over the wall and； as
he knew the position of the bulb which was to produce the
grand black tulip； he would filch it； and instead of
flowering for Cornelius； it would flower for him； Isaac； he
also； instead of Van Baerle； would have the prize of a
hundred thousand guilders； not to speak of the sublime
honour of calling the new flower Tulipa nigra Boxtellensis；
a result which would satisfy not only his vengeance； but
also his cupidity and his ambition。
Awake； he thought of nothing but the grand black tulip；
asleep； he dreamed of it。
At last； on the 19th of August； about two o'clock in the
afternoon； the temptation grew so strong； that Mynheer Isaac
was no longer able to resist it。
Accordingly； he wrote an anonymous information； the minute
exactness of which made up for its want of authenticity； and
posted his letter。
Never did a venomous paper； slipped into the jaws of the
bronze lions at Venice； produce
