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down to the tulips。 He thanked his godson for having joined
him on the deck of the admiral's ship 〃The Seven Provinces；〃
during the battle of Southwold Bay； and for having given his
name to a magnificent tulip； and whilst he thus； with the
kindness and affability of a father to a son； visited Van
Baerle's treasures； the crowd gathered with curiosity； and
even respect； before the door of the happy man。
All this hubbub excited the attention of Boxtel； who was
just taking his meal by his fireside。 He inquired what it
meant； and； on being informed of the cause of all this stir；
climbed up to his post of observation； where in spite of the
cold； he took his stand； with the telescope to his eye。
This telescope had not been of great service to him since
the autumn of 1671。 The tulips； like true daughters of the
East； averse to cold； do not abide in the open ground in
winter。 They need the shelter of the house； the soft bed on
the shelves； and the congenial warmth of the stove。 Van
Baerle； therefore； passed the whole winter in his
laboratory； in the midst of his books and pictures。 He went
only rarely to the room where he kept his bulbs； unless it
were to allow some occasional rays of the sun to enter； by
opening one of the movable sashes of the glass front。
On the evening of which we are speaking； after the two
Corneliuses had visited together all the apartments of the
house； whilst a train of domestics followed their steps； De
Witt said in a low voice to Van Baerle；
〃My dear son； send these people away； and let us be alone
for some minutes。〃
The younger Cornelius； bowing assent； said aloud；
〃Would you now； sir； please to see my dry…room？〃
The dry…room； this pantheon； this sanctum sanctorum of the
tulip…fancier； was； as Delphi of old； interdicted to the
profane uninitiated。
Never had any of his servants been bold enough to set his
foot there。 Cornelius admitted only the inoffensive broom of
an old Frisian housekeeper； who had been his nurse； and who
from the time when he had devoted himself to the culture of
tulips ventured no longer to put onions in his stews； for
fear of pulling to pieces and mincing the idol of her foster
child。
At the mere mention of the dry…room； therefore； the servants
who were carrying the lights respectfully fell back。
Cornelius； taking the candlestick from the hands of the
foremost； conducted his godfather into that room； which was
no other than that very cabinet with a glass front into
which Boxtel was continually prying with his telescope。
The envious spy was watching more intently than ever。
First of all he saw the walls and windows lit up。
Then two dark figures appeared。
One of them； tall； majestic； stern； sat down near the table
on which Van Baerle had placed the taper。
In this figure； Boxtel recognised the pale features of
Cornelius de Witt； whose long hair； parted in front； fell
over his shoulders。
De Witt； after having said some few words to Cornelius； the
meaning of which the prying neighbour could not read in the
movement of his lips； took from his breast pocket a white
parcel； carefully sealed； which Boxtel； judging from the
manner in which Cornelius received it； and placed it in one
of the presses； supposed to contain papers of the greatest
importance。
His first thought was that this precious deposit enclosed
some newly imported bulbs from Bengal or Ceylon； but he soon
reflected that Cornelius de Witt was very little addicted to
tulip…growing； and that he only occupied himself with the
affairs of man； a pursuit by far less peaceful and agreeable
than that of the florist。 He therefore came to the
conclusion that the parcel contained simply some papers； and
that these papers were relating to politics。
But why should papers of political import be intrusted to
Van Baerle； who not only was； but also boasted of being； an
entire stranger to the science of government； which； in his
opinion； was more occult than alchemy itself？
It was undoubtedly a deposit which Cornelius de Witt；
already threatened by the unpopularity with which his
countrymen were going to honour him； was placing in the
hands of his godson； a contrivance so much the more cleverly
devised； as it certainly was not at all likely that it
should be searched for at the house of one who had always
stood aloof from every sort of intrigue。
And； besides； if the parcel had been made up of bulbs；
Boxtel knew his neighbour too well not to expect that Van
Baerle would not have lost one moment in satisfying his
curiosity and feasting his eyes on the present which he had
received。
But； on the contrary； Cornelius had received the parcel from
the hands of his godfather with every mark of respect； and
put it by with the same respectful manner in a drawer；
stowing it away so that it should not take up too much of
the room which was reserved to his bulbs。
The parcel thus being secreted； Cornelius de Witt got up；
pressed the hand of his godson； and turned towards the door；
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