blinded him； and he raised in his two hands the heavy jug
with all the now useless earth which remained in it。 One
instant more； and he would have flung it on the bald head of
old Gryphus。
But a cry stopped him； a cry of agony； uttered by poor Rosa；
who； trembling and pale； with her arms raised to heaven；
made her appearance behind the grated window； and thus
interposed between her father and her friend。
Gryphus then understood the danger with which he had been
threatened； and he broke out in a volley of the most
terrible abuse。
〃Indeed；〃 said Cornelius to him； 〃you must be a very mean
and spiteful fellow to rob a poor prisoner of his only
consolation； a tulip bulb。〃
〃For shame； my father；〃 Rosa chimed in； 〃it is indeed a
crime you have committed here。〃
〃Ah； is that you； my little chatter…box？〃 the old man cried；
boiling with rage and turning towards her； 〃don't you meddle
with what don't concern you； but go down as quickly as
possible。〃
〃Unfortunate me；〃 continued Cornelius； overwhelmed with
grief。
〃After all； it is but a tulip；〃 Gryphus resumed； as he began
to be a little ashamed of himself。 〃You may have as many
tulips as you like： I have three hundred of them in my
loft。〃
〃To the devil with your tulips！〃 cried Cornelius； 〃you are
worthy of each other： had I a hundred thousand millions of
them； I would gladly give them for the one which you have
just destroyed。〃
〃Oh； so！〃 Gryphus said； in a tone of triumph； 〃now there we
have it。 It was not your tulip you cared for。 There was in
that false bulb some witchcraft； perhaps some means of
correspondence with conspirators against his Highness who
has granted you your life。 I always said they were wrong in
not cutting your head off。〃
〃Father； father！〃 cried Rosa。
〃Yes； yes！ it is better as it is now；〃 repeated Gryphus；
growing warm； 〃I have destroyed it； and I'll do the same
again； as often as you repeat the trick。 Didn't I tell you；
my fine fellow； that I would make your life a hard one？〃
〃A curse on you！〃 Cornelius exclaimed； quite beyond himself
with despair； as he gathered； with his trembling fingers；
the remnants of that bulb on which he had rested so many
joys and so many hopes。
〃We shall plant the other to…morrow； my dear Mynheer
Cornelius；〃 said Rosa； in a low voice； who understood the
intense grief of the unfortunate tulip…fancier； and who；
with the pure sacred love of her innocent heart； poured
these kind words； like a drop of balm； on the bleeding
wounds of Cornelius。
Chapter 18
Rosa's Lover
Rosa had scarcely pronounced these consolatory words when a
voice was heard from the staircase asking Gryphus how
matters were going on。
〃Do you hear； father？〃 said Rosa。
〃What？〃
〃Master Jacob calls you； he is uneasy。〃
〃There was such a noise；〃 said Gryphus； 〃wouldn't you have
thought he would murder me； this doctor？ They are always
very troublesome fellows； these scholars。〃
Then； pointing with his finger towards the staircase； he
said to Rosa： 〃Just lead the way； Miss。〃
After this he locked the door and called out： 〃I shall be
with you directly； friend Jacob。〃
Poor Cornelius； thus left alone with his bitter grief；
muttered to himself；
〃Ah； you old hangman！ it is me you have trodden under foot；
you have murdered me； I shall not survive it。〃
And certainly the unfortunate prisoner would have fallen ill
but for the counterpoise which Providence had granted to his
grief； and which was called Rosa。
In the evening she came back。 Her first words announced to
Cornelius that henceforth her father would make no objection
to his cultivating flowers。
〃And how do you know that？〃 the prisoner asked； with a
doleful look。
〃I know it because he has said so。〃
〃To deceive me； perhaps。〃
〃No； he repents。〃
〃Ah yes！ but too late。〃
〃This repentance is not of himself。〃
〃And who put it into him？〃
〃If you only knew how his friend scolded him！〃
〃Ah； Master Jacob； he does not leave you； then； that Master
Jacob？〃
〃At any rate； he leaves us as little as he can help。〃
Saying this； she smiled in such a way that the little cloud
of jealousy which had darkened the brow of Cornelius
speedily vanished。
〃How was it？〃 asked the prisoner。
〃Well； being asked by his friend； my father told at supper
the whole story of the tulip； or rather of the bulb； and of
his own fine exploit of crushing it。〃
Cornelius heaved a sigh； which might have been called a
groan。
〃Had you only seen Master Jacob at that moment！〃 continued
Rosa。 〃I really thought he would set fire to the castle； his
eyes were like two flaming torches； his hair stood on end；
and he clinched his fist for a moment； I thought he would
have strangled my father。〃
〃'You have done that；' he cried； 'you have crushed the
bulb？'
〃'Indeed I have。'
〃'It is infamous；' said Master Jacob； 'it is odious！ You
have committed a great crime！'
〃My father was quite dumbfounded。
〃'Are you mad； too？' he asked his friend。〃
〃Oh； what a worthy man is this Master Jacob！〃 muttered
Cornelius； 〃an honest soul； an excellent heart that he
is。〃
〃The truth is； that it is impossible to treat a man more
rudely than he did my father； he was really quite in
despair； repeating over and over again；
〃'Crushed； crushed the bulb！ my God； my God！ crushed！'
〃Then； turning toward me； he asked； 'But it was not the only
one that he had？'〃
〃Did he ask that？〃 inquired Cornelius； with some anxiety。
〃'You think it was not the only one？' said my father。 'Very
well； we shall search for the others。'
〃'You will search for the others？' cried Jacob； taking my
father by the collar； but he immediately loosed him。 Then；
turning towards me； he continued； asking 'And what did that
poor young man say？'
〃I did not know what to answer； as you had so strictly
enjoined me never to allow any one to guess the interest
which you are taking in the bulb。 Fortunately； my father
saved me from the difficulty by chiming in；
〃'What did he say？ Didn't he fume and fret？'
〃I interrupted him； saying； 'Was it not natural that be
should be furious； you were so unjust and brutal； father？'
〃'Well； now； are you mad？' cried my father； 'what immense
misfortune is it to crush a tulip bulb？ You may buy a
hundred of them in the market of Gorcum。'
〃'Perhaps some less precious one than that was！' I quite
incautiously replied。〃
〃And what did Jacob say or do at these words？〃 asked
Cornelius。
〃At these words； if I must say it； his eyes seemed to flash
like lightning。〃
〃But；〃 said Cornelius； 〃that was not all； I am sure he said
something in his turn。〃
〃'So； then； my pretty Rosa；' he said； with a voice as sweet
a honey； 'so you think that bulb to have been a precious
one？'
〃I saw that I had made a blunder。
〃'What do I know？' I said； negligently； 'do I understand
anything of tulips？ I only know as unfortunately it is
our lot to live with prisoners that for them any pastime
is of value。 This poor Mynheer van Baerle amused himself
with this bulb。 Well； I think it very cruel to take from him
the only thing that he could have amused himself with。'
〃'But； first of all；' said my father； 'we ought to know how
he has contrived to procure this bulb。'
〃I turned my eyes away to avoid my father's look； but I met
those of Jacob。
〃It was as if he had tried to read my thoughts at the bottom
of my heart。
〃Some little show of anger sometimes saves an answer。 I
shrugged my shoulders； turned my back； and advanced towards
the door。
〃But I was kept by something which I heard； although it was
uttered in a very low voice only。
〃Jacob said to my father；
〃'It would not be so difficult to ascertain that。'
〃'How so？'
〃'You need only search his person： and if he has the other
bulbs； we shall find them； as there usually are three
suckers！'〃
〃Three suckers！〃 cried Cornelius。 〃Did you say that I have
three？〃
〃The word certainly struck me just as much as it does you。 I
turned round。 They were both of them so deeply engaged in
their conversation that they did not observe my movement。
〃'But；' said my father； 'perhaps he has not got his bulbs
about him？'
〃'Then take him down； under some pretext or other and I will
search his cell in the meanwhile。'〃
〃Halloa； halloa！〃 said Cornelius。 〃But this Mr。 Jacob of
yours is a villain； it seems。〃
〃I am afraid he is。〃
〃Tell me； Rosa；〃 continued Cornelius； with a pensive air。
〃What？〃
〃Did you not tell me that on the day when you prepared your
borders this man followed you？〃
〃So he did。〃
〃That he glided like a shadow behind the elder trees？〃
〃Certainly。〃
〃That not one of your movements escaped him？〃
〃Not one； indeed。〃
〃Rosa；〃 said Cornelius； growing quite pale。
〃Well？〃
〃It was not you he was after。〃
〃Who else； then？〃
〃It is not you that he was in love with！〃
〃But with whom else？〃
〃He was after my bulb； and is in love with my tulip！〃
〃You don't say so！ And yet it is very possible；〃 said Ro