Van Baerle seizing the candlestick； and lighting him on his
way down to the street； which was still crowded with people
who wished to see their great fellow citizen getting into
his coach。
Boxtel had not been mistaken in his supposition。 The deposit
intrusted to Van Baerle； and carefully locked up by him； was
nothing more nor less than John de Witt's correspondence
with the Marquis de Louvois； the war minister of the King of
France； only the godfather forbore giving to his godson the
least intimation concerning the political importance of the
secret； merely desiring him not to deliver the parcel to any
one but to himself； or to whomsoever he should send to claim
it in his name。
And Van Baerle； as we have seen； locked it up with his most
precious bulbs； to think no more of it； after his godfather
had left him； very unlike Boxtel； who looked upon this
parcel as a clever pilot does on the distant and scarcely
perceptible cloud which is increasing on its way and which
is fraught with a storm。
Little dreaming of the jealous hatred of his neighbour； Van
Baerle had proceeded step by step towards gaining the prize
offered by the Horticultural Society of Haarlem。 He had
progressed from hazel…nut shade to that of roasted coffee；
and on the very day when the frightful events took place at
the Hague which we have related in the preceding chapters；
we find him； about one o'clock in the day； gathering from
the border the young suckers raised from tulips of the
colour of roasted coffee； and which； being expected to
flower for the first time in the spring of 1675； would
undoubtedly produce the large black tulip required by the
Haarlem Society。
On the 20th of August； 1672； at one o'clock； Cornelius was
therefore in his dry…room； with his feet resting on the
foot…bar of the table； and his elbows on the cover； looking
with intense delight on three suckers which he had just
detached from the mother bulb； pure； perfect； and entire；
and from which was to grow that wonderful produce of
horticulture which would render the name of Cornelius van
Baerle for ever illustrious。
〃I shall find the black tulip；〃 said Cornelius to himself；
whilst detaching the suckers。 〃I shall obtain the hundred
thousand guilders offered by the Society。 I shall distribute
them among the poor of Dort； and thus the hatred which every
rich man has to encounter in times of civil wars will be
soothed down； and I shall be able； without fearing any harm
either from Republicans or Orangists； to keep as heretofore
my borders in splendid condition。 I need no more be afraid
lest on the day of a riot the shopkeepers of the town and
the sailors of the port should come and tear out my bulbs；
to boil them as onions for their families； as they have
sometimes quietly threatened when they happened to remember
my having paid two or three hundred guilders for one bulb。
It is therefore settled I shall give the hundred thousand
guilders of the Haarlem prize to…the poor。 And yet 〃
Here Cornelius stopped and heaved a sigh。 〃And yet；〃 he
continued； 〃it would have been so very delightful to spend
the hundred thousand guilders on the enlargement of my
tulip…bed or even on a journey to the East； the country of
beautiful flowers。 But； alas！ these are no thoughts for the
present times； when muskets； standards； proclamations； and
beating of drums are the order of the day。〃
Van Baerle raised his eyes to heaven and sighed again。 Then
turning his glance towards his bulbs； objects of much
greater importance to him than all those muskets； standards；
drums； and proclamations； which he conceived only to be fit
to disturb the minds of honest people； he said：
〃These are； indeed； beautiful bulbs； how smooth they are；
how well formed； there is that air of melancholy about them
which promises to produce a flower of the colour of ebony。
On their skin you cannot even distinguish the circulating
veins with the naked eye。 Certainly； certainly； not a light
spot will disfigure the tulip which I have called into
existence。 And by what name shall we call this offspring of
my sleepless nights； of my labour and my thought？ Tulipa
nigra Barlaensis？
〃Yes Barlaensis： a fine name。 All the tulip…fanciers that
is to say； all the intelligent people of Europe will feel
a thrill of excitement when the rumour spreads to the four
quarters of the globe： The grand black tulip is found！ 'How
is it called？' the fanciers will ask。 'Tulipa nigra
Barlaensis！' 'Why Barlaensis？' 'After its grower； Van
Baerle；' will be the answer。 'And who is this Van
Baerle？' 'It is the same who has already produced five
new tulips： the Jane； the John de Witt； the Cornelius de
Witt； etc。' Well； that is what I call my ambition。 It will
cause tears to no one。 And people will talk of my Tulipa
nigra Barlaensis when perhaps my godfather； this sublime
politician； is only known from the tulip to which I have
given his name。
〃Oh！ these darling bulbs！
〃When my tulip has flowered；〃 Baerle continued in his
soliloquy； 〃and when tranquillity is restored in Holland； I
shall give to the poor only fifty thousand guilders； which；
after all； is a goodly sum for a man who is under no
obligation whatever。 Then； with the remaining fifty thousand
guilders； I shall make experiments。 With them I shall
succeed in imparting scent to the tulip。 Ah！ if I succeed in
giving it the odour of the rose or the carnation； or； what
would be still better； a completely new scent； if I restored
to this queen of flowers its natural distinctive perfume；
which she has lost in passing from her Eastern to her
European throne； and which she must have in the Indian
peninsula at Goa； Bombay； and Madras； and especially in that
island which in olden times； as is asserted； was the
terrestrial paradise； and which is called Ceylon； oh；
what glory！ I must say； I would then rather be Cornelius van
Baerle than Alexander； Caesar； or Maximilian。
〃Oh the admirable bulbs！〃
Thus Cornelius indulged in the delights of contemplation；
and was carried away by the sweetest dreams。
Suddenly the bell of his cabinet was rung much more
violently than usual。
Cornelius； startled； laid his hands on his bulbs； and turned
round。
〃Who is here？〃 he asked。
〃Sir；〃 answered the servant； 〃it is a messenger from the
Hague。〃
〃A messenger from the Hague！ What does he want？〃
〃Sir； it is Craeke。〃
〃Craeke！ the confidential servant of Mynheer John de Witt？
Good； let him wait。〃
〃I cannot wait；〃 said a voice in the lobby。
And at the same time forcing his way in； Craeke rushed into
the dry…room。
This abrupt entrance was such an infringement on the
established rules of the household of Cornelius van Baerle；
that the latter； at the sight of Craeke； almost convulsively
moved his hand which covered the bulbs； so that two of them
fell on the floor； one of them rolling under a small table；
and the other into the fireplace。
〃Zounds！〃 said Cornelius； eagerly picking up his precious
bulbs； 〃what's the matter？〃
〃The matter； sir！〃 said Craeke； laying a paper on the large
table； on which the third bulb was lying； 〃the matter is；
that you are requested to read this paper without losing one
moment。〃
And Craeke； who thought he had remarked in the streets of
Dort symptoms of a tumult similar to that which he had
witnessed before his departure from the Hague； ran off
without even looking behind him。
〃All right！ all right！ my dear Craeke；〃 said Cornelius；
stretching his arm under the table for the bulb； 〃your paper
shall be read； indeed it shall。〃
Then； examining the bulb which he held in the hollow of his
hand； he said： 〃Well； here is one of them uninjured。 That
confounded Craeke！ thus to rush into my dry…room； let us now
look after the other。〃
And without laying down the bulb which he already held；
Baerle went to the fireplace； knelt down and stirred with
the tip of his finger the ashes； which fortunately were
quite cold。
He at once felt the other bulb。
〃Well； here it is；〃 he said； and； looking at it with almost
fatherly affection； he exclaimed； 〃Uninjured as the first！〃
At this very instant； and whilst Cornelius； still on his
knees； was examining his pets； the door of the dry…room was
so violently shaken； and opened in such a brusque manner；
that Cornelius felt rising in his cheeks and his ears the
glow of that evil counsellor which is called wrath。
〃Now； what is it again；〃 he demanded； 〃are people going mad
here？〃
〃Oh； sir！ sir！〃 cried the servant； rushing into the dry…room
with a much paler face and with a much more frightened mien
than Craeke had shown。
〃Well！〃 asked Cornelius； foreboding some mischief from the
double breach of the strict rule of his house。
〃Oh； sir； fly！ fly quick！〃 cried the servant。
〃Fly！ and what for？〃
〃Sir； the house is full of the guards of the States。〃
〃What do they want？〃
〃They want you。〃
〃What for？〃
〃To arrest you。〃
〃Arrest me？ arrest me； do you say？〃
〃Yes； sir； and they are headed by a magistrate。〃
〃What's