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The Black Tulip, a novel by Alexandre Dumas |
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Chapter 21. The Second Bulb |
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_ The night was a happy one, and the whole of the next day happier still. During the last few days, the prison had been heavy, dark, and lowering, But when Cornelius awoke next morning, a beam of the morning sun Cornelius ran to that window and opened it; it seemed to him as if new When Gryphus, therefore, came to see his prisoner in the morning, he no "Halloa!" exclaimed the jailer. "How are you this morning?" asked Cornelius. Gryphus looked at him with a scowl. "And how is the dog, and Master Jacob, and our pretty Rosa?" Gryphus ground his teeth, saying.-- "Here is your breakfast." "Thank you, friend Cerberus," said the prisoner; "you are just in time; "Oh! you are hungry, are you?" said Gryphus. "And why not?" asked Van Baerle. "The conspiracy seems to thrive," remarked Gryphus. "What conspiracy?" "Very well, I know what I know, Master Scholar; just be quiet, we shall "Be on your guard, friend Gryphus; be on your guard as long as you "We'll see that at noon." Saying this, Gryphus went out. "At noon?" repeated Cornelius; "what does that mean? Well, let us wait It was very easy for Cornelius to wait for twelve at midday, as he was It struck twelve, and there were heard on the staircase not only the The door opened. Gryphus entered, led his men in, and shut the door "There, now search!" They searched not only the pockets of Cornelius, but even his person; They then searched the sheets, the mattress, and the straw mattress of Now, Cornelius rejoiced that he had not taken the third sucker under his And certainly never did prisoner look with greater complacency at a Gryphus retired with the pencil and the two or three leaves of white At six Gryphus came back again, but alone; Cornelius tried to propitiate Cornelius burst out laughing, to which Gryphus answered through the "Let him laugh that wins." The winner that day was Cornelius; Rosa came at nine. She was without a lantern. She needed no longer a light, as she could Of what did the young people speak that evening? Of those matters of They spoke of those things which give wings to the hours; they spoke of At last, when the clock struck ten, they parted as usual. Cornelius was happy, as thoroughly happy as a tulip-fancier would be to He found Rosa pretty, good, graceful, and charming. But why did Rosa object to the tulip being spoken of? This was indeed a great defect in Rosa. Cornelius confessed to himself, sighing, that woman was not perfect. Part of the night he thought of this imperfection; that is to say, so After having fallen asleep, he dreamed of her. But the Rosa of his dreams was by far more perfect than the Rosa of real Cornelius then awoke, trembling with joy, and muttering,-- "Rosa, Rosa, I love you." And as it was already day, he thought it right not to fall asleep again, Ah! if Rosa had only conversed about the tulip, Cornelius would But Rosa had forbidden it under pain of not returning; Rosa had There was one consolation: of the seventy-two hours during which Rosa came at the same hour, and Cornelius submitted most heroically to His fair visitor, however, was well aware that, to command on the one Poor girl! she had no idea that these playful little lovers' tricks were And on the following evening, after the first exchange of salutations, "Well," she said, "she is up." "She is up! Who? What?" asked Cornelius, who did not venture on a "She? Well, my daughter, the tulip," said Rosa. "What!" cried Cornelius, "you give me permission, then?" "I do," said Rosa, with the tone of an affectionate mother who grants a "Ah, Rosa!" said Cornelius, putting his lips to the grating with the He touched something much better,--two warm and half open lips. Rosa uttered a slight scream. Cornelius understood that he must make haste to continue the "Is it growing up straight?" "Straight as a rocket," said Rosa. "How high?" "At least two inches." "Oh, Rosa, take good care of it, and we shall soon see it grow quickly." "Can I take more care of it?" said she. "Indeed, I think of nothing else "Of nothing else, Rosa? Why, now I shall grow jealous in my turn." "Oh, you know that to think of the tulip is to think of you; I never "You are right Rosa, it is your dowry, you know." "Yes, and with it I may marry a young man of twenty-six or twenty-eight "Don't talk in that way, you naughty girl." That evening Cornelius was one of the happiest of men. Rosa allowed him From that hour every day marked some progress in the growth of the tulip At one time it was that the leaves had expanded, and at another that the Great was the joy of Cornelius at this news, and his questions succeeded "Formed!" exclaimed Cornelius, "is it really formed?" "It is," repeated Rosa. Cornelius trembled with joy, so much so that he was obliged to hold by "Good heavens!" he exclaimed. Then, turning again to Rosa, he continued his questions. "Is the oval regular? the cylinder full? and are the points very green?" "The oval is almost one inch long, and tapers like a needle, the Two days after Rosa announced that they were open. "Open, Rosa!" cried Cornelius. "Is the involucrum open? but then one may Here the prisoner paused, anxiously taking breath. "Yes," answered Rosa, "one may already distinguish a thread of different "And its colour?" asked Cornelius, trembling. "Oh," answered Rosa, "it is very dark!" "Brown?" "Darker than that." "Darker, my good Rosa, darker? Thank you. Dark as----" "Dark as the ink with which I wrote to you." Cornelius uttered a cry of mad joy. Then, suddenly stopping and clasping his hands, he said,-- "Oh, there is not an angel in heaven that may be compared to you, Rosa!" "Indeed!" said Rosa, smiling at his enthusiasm. "Rosa, you have worked with such ardour,--you have done so much for me! "After the tulip, though." "Ah! be quiet, you malicious little creature, be quiet! For shame! "To-morrow, or the day after." "Ah! and I shall not see it," cried Cornelius, starting back, "I shall Rosa drew near, not by accident, but intentionally, and Cornelius kissed "Faith, I shall cull it, if you wish it." "Oh, no, no, Rosa! when it is open, place it carefully in the shade, Rosa smiled. "Oh, yes!" she said. "Enough?" said Cornelius. "I have three hundred guilders." "Oh, if you have three hundred guilders, you must not send a messenger, "But what in the meantime is to become of the flower?" "Oh, the flower! you must take it with you. You understand that you must "But whilst I am not separating from it, I am separating from you, "Ah! that's true, my sweet Rosa. Oh, my God! how wicked men are! What Then, suddenly checking himself, he said, with a faltering voice,-- "Rosa, Rosa, if after all it should not flower black!" "Oh, surely, surely, you will know to-morrow, or the day after." "And to wait until evening to know it, Rosa! I shall die with "I shall do better than that." "What will you do?" "If it opens at night, I shall come and tell you myself. If it is day, "Yes, Rosa, let it be so. One word of yours, announcing this news to me, "There, ten o'clock strikes," said Rosa, "I must now leave you." "Yes, yes," said Cornelius, "go, Rosa, go!" Rosa withdrew, almost melancholy, for Cornelius had all but sent her It is true that he did so in order that she might watch over his black |