the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第34节

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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　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　ov