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you give up those papers to me？〃
〃But I cannot； Master van Spennen； those papers do not
belong to me； they have been deposited with me as a trust；
and a trust is sacred。〃
〃Dr。 Cornelius；〃 said the judge； 〃in the name of the States；
I order you to open this drawer； and to give up to me the
papers which it contains。〃
Saying this； the judge pointed with his finger to the third
drawer of the press； near the fireplace。
In this very drawer； indeed the papers deposited by the
Warden of the Dikes with his godson were lying； a proof that
the police had received very exact information。
〃Ah！ you will not；〃 said Van Spennen； when he saw Cornelius
standing immovable and bewildered； 〃then I shall open the
drawer myself。〃
And； pulling out the drawer to its full length； the
magistrate at first alighted on about twenty bulbs；
carefully arranged and ticketed； and then on the paper
parcel； which had remained in exactly the same state as it
was when delivered by the unfortunate Cornelius de Witt to
his godson。
The magistrate broke the seals； tore off the envelope； cast
an eager glance on the first leaves which met his eye and
then exclaimed； in a terrible voice；
〃Well； justice has been rightly informed after all！〃
〃How；〃 said Cornelius； 〃how is this？〃
〃Don't pretend to be ignorant； Mynheer van Baerle；〃 answered
the magistrate。 〃Follow me。〃
〃How's that！ follow you？〃 cried the Doctor。
〃Yes； sir； for in the name of the States I arrest you。〃
Arrests were not as yet made in the name of William of
Orange； he had not been Stadtholder long enough for that。
〃Arrest me！〃 cried Cornelius； 〃but what have I done？〃
〃That's no affair of mine； Doctor； you will explain all that
before your judges。〃
〃Where？〃
〃At the Hague。〃
Cornelius； in mute stupefaction； embraced his old nurse； who
was in a swoon； shook hands with his servants； who were
bathed in tears； and followed the magistrate； who put him in
a coach as a prisoner of state and had him driven at full
gallop to the Hague。
Chapter 8
An Invasion
The incident just related was； as the reader has guessed
before this； the diabolical work of Mynheer Isaac Boxtel。
It will be remembered that； with the help of his telescope；
not even the least detail of the private meeting between
Cornelius de Witt and Van Baerle had escaped him。 He had；
indeed； heard nothing； but he had seen everything； and had
rightly concluded that the papers intrusted by the Warden to
the Doctor must have been of great importance； as he saw Van
Baerle so carefully secreting the parcel in the drawer where
he used to keep his most precious bulbs。
The upshot of all this was that when Boxtel； who watched the
course of political events much more attentively than his
neighbour Cornelius was used to do； heard the news of the
brothers De Witt being arrested on a charge of high treason
against the States； he thought within his heart that very
likely he needed only to say one word； and the godson would
be arrested as well as the godfather。
Yet； full of happiness as was Boxtel's heart at the chance；
he at first shrank with horror from the idea of informing
against a man whom this information might lead to the
scaffold。
But there is this terrible thing in evil thoughts； that evil
minds soon grow familiar with them。
Besides this； Mynheer Isaac Boxtel encouraged himself with
the following sophism：
〃Cornelius de Witt is a bad citizen； as he is charged with
high treason； and arrested。
〃I； on the contrary； am a good citizen； as I am not charged
with anything in the world； as I am as free as the air of
heaven。〃
〃If； therefore； Cornelius de Witt is a bad citizen； of
which there can be no doubt； as he is charged with high
treason； and arrested； his accomplice； Cornelius van
Baerle； is no less a bad citizen than himself。
〃And； as I am a good citizen； and as it is the duty of every
good citizen to inform against the bad ones； it is my duty
to inform against Cornelius van Baerle。〃
Specious as this mode of reasoning might sound； it would not
perhaps have taken so complete a hold of Boxtel； nor would
he perhaps have yielded to the mere desire of vengeance
which was gnawing at his heart； had not the demon of envy
been joined with that of cupidity。
Boxtel was quite aware of the progress which Van Baerle had
made towards producing the grand black tulip。
Dr。 Cornelius； notwithstanding all his modesty； had not been
able to hide from his most intimate friends that he was all
but certain to win； in the year of grace 1673； the prize of
a hundred thousand guilders offered by the Horticultural
Society of Haarlem。
It was just this certainty of Cornelius van Baerle that
caused the fever which raged in the heart of Isaac Boxtel。
If Cornelius should be arrested there would necessarily be a
great upset in his house； and during the night after his
arrest no one would think of keeping watch over the tulips
in his garden。
Now in that night Boxtel would climb over the wall and； as
he knew the position of the bulb which was to produce the
grand black tulip； he would filch it； and instead of
flowering for Cornelius； it would flower for him； Isaac； he
also； instead of Van Baerle； would have the prize of a
hundred thousand guilders； not to speak of the sublime
honour of calling the new flower Tulipa nigra Boxtellensis；
a result which would satisfy not only his vengeance； but
also his cupidity and his ambition。
Awake； he thought of nothing but the grand black tulip；
asleep； he dreamed of it。
At last； on the 19th of August； about two o'clock in the
afternoon； the temptation grew so strong； that Mynheer Isaac
was no longer able to resist it。
Accordingly； he wrote an anonymous information； the minute
exactness of which made up for its want of authenticity； and
posted his letter。
Never did a venomous paper； slipped into the jaws of the
bronze lions at Venice； produce a more prompt and terrible
effect。
On the same evening the letter reached the principal
magistrate； who without a moment's delay convoked his
colleagues early for the next morning。 On the following
morning； therefore； they assembled； and decided on Van
Baerle's arrest； placing the order for its execution in the
hands of Master van Spennen； who； as we have seen； performed
his duty like a true Hollander； and who arrested the Doctor
at the very hour when the Orange party at the Hague were
roasting the bleeding shreds of flesh torn from the corpses
of Cornelius and John de Witt。
But； whether from a feeling of shame or from craven
weakness； Isaac Boxtel did not venture that day to point his
telescope either at the garden； or at the laboratory； or at
the dry…room。
He knew too well what was about to happen in the house of
the poor doctor to feel any desire to look into it。 He did
not even get up when his only servant who envied the lot
of the servants of Cornelius just as bitterly as Boxtel did
that of their master entered his bedroom。 He said to the
man；
〃I shall not get up to…day； I am ill。〃
About nine o'clock he heard a great noise in the street
which made him tremble； at this moment he was paler than a
real invalid； and shook more violently than a man in the
height of fever。
His servant entered the room； Boxtel hid himself under the
counterpane。
〃Oh； sir！〃 cried the servant； not without some inkling that；
whilst deploring the mishap which had befallen Van Baerle；
he was announcing agreeable news to his master； 〃oh； sir！
you do not know； then； what is happening at this moment？〃
〃How can I know it？〃 answered Boxtel； with an almost
unintelligible voice。
〃Well； Mynheer Boxtel； at this moment your neighbour
Cornelius van Baerle is arrested for high treason。〃
〃Nonsense！〃 Boxtel muttered； with a faltering voice； 〃the
thing is impossible。〃
〃Faith； sir； at any rate that's what people say； and；
besides； I have seen Judge van Spennen with the archers
entering the house。〃
〃Well； if you have seen it with your own eyes； that's a
different case altogether。〃
〃At all events；〃 said the servant； 〃I shall go and inquire
once more。 Be you quiet； sir； I shall let you know all about
it。〃
Boxtel contented himself with signifying his approval of the
zeal of his servant by dumb show。
The man went out； and returned in half an hour。
〃Oh； sir； all that I told you is indeed quite true。〃
〃How so？〃
〃Mynheer van Baerle is arrested； and has been put into a
carriage； and they are driving him to the Hague。〃
〃To the Hague！〃
〃Yes； to the Hague； and if what