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the black tulip-第32章

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until at last he perceived that he was outwitted。 Then; 

keeping down the agitation which was raging in his breast; 

he took up the rake; smoothed the ground; so as to leave it 

on his retiring in the same state as he had found it; and; 

quite abashed and rueful; walked back to the door; affecting 

the unconcerned air of an ordinary visitor of the garden。〃 



〃Oh; the wretch!〃 muttered Cornelius; wiping the cold sweat 

from his brow。 〃Oh; the wretch! I guessed his intentions。 

But the bulb; Rosa; what have you done with it? It is 

already rather late to plant it。〃 



〃The bulb? It has been in the ground for these six days。〃 



〃Where? and how?〃 cried Cornelius。 〃Good Heaven; what 

imprudence! What is it? In what sort of soil is it? It what 

aspect? Good or bad? Is there no risk of having it filched 

by that detestable Jacob?〃 



〃There is no danger of its being stolen;〃 said Rosa; 〃unless 

Jacob will force the door of my chamber。〃 



〃Oh! then it is with you in your bedroom?〃 said Cornelius; 

somewhat relieved。 〃But in what soil? in what vessel? You 

don't let it grow; I hope; in water like those good ladies 

of Haarlem and Dort; who imagine that water could replace 

the earth?〃 



〃You may make yourself comfortable on that score;〃 said 

Rosa; smiling; 〃your bulb is not growing in water。〃 



〃I breathe again。〃 



〃It is in a good; sound stone pot; just about the size of 

the jug in which you had planted yours。 The soil is composed 

of three parts of common mould; taken from the best spot of 

the garden; and one of the sweepings of the road。 I have 

heard you and that detestable Jacob; as you call him; so 

often talk about what is the soil best fitted for growing 

tulips; that I know it as well as the first gardener of 

Haarlem。〃 



〃And now what is the aspect; Rosa?〃 



〃At present it has the sun all day long;  that is to say 

when the sun shines。 But when it once peeps out of the 

ground; I shall do as you have done here; dear Mynheer 

Cornelius: I shall put it out of my window on the eastern 

side from eight in the morning until eleven and in my window 

towards the west from three to five in the afternoon。〃 



〃That's it! that's it!〃 cried Cornelius; 〃and you are a 

perfect gardener; my pretty Rosa。 But I am afraid the 

nursing of my tulip will take up all your time。〃 



〃Yes; it will;〃 said Rosa; 〃but never mind。 Your tulip is my 

daughter。 I shall devote to it the same time as I should to 

a child of mine; if I were a mother。 Only by becoming its 

mother;〃 Rosa added; smilingly; 〃can I cease to be its 

rival。〃 



〃My kind and pretty Rosa!〃 muttered Cornelius casting on her 

a glance in which there was much more of the lover than of 

the gardener; and which afforded Rosa some consolation。 



Then; after a silence of some moments; during which 

Cornelius had grasped through the openings of the grating 

for the receding hand of Rosa; he said;  



〃Do you mean to say that the bulb has now been in the ground 

for six days?〃 



〃Yes; six days; Mynheer Cornelius;〃 she answered。 



〃And it does not yet show leaf〃 



〃No; but I think it will to…morrow。〃 



〃Well; then; to…morrow you will bring me news about it; and 

about yourself; won't you; Rosa? I care very much for the 

daughter; as you called it just now; but I care even much 

more for the mother。〃 



〃To…morrow?〃 said Rosa; looking at Cornelius askance。 〃I 

don't know whether I shall be able to come to…morrow。〃 



〃Good heavens!〃 said Cornelius; 〃why can't you come 

to…morrow?〃 



〃Mynheer Cornelius; I have lots of things to do。〃 



〃And I have only one;〃 muttered Cornelius。 



〃Yes;〃 said Rosa; 〃to love your tulip。〃 



〃To love you; Rosa。〃 



Rosa shook her head; after which followed a pause。 



〃Well;〃  Cornelius at last broke the silence;  〃well; 

Rosa; everything changes in the realm of nature; the flowers 

of spring are succeeded by other flowers; and the bees; 

which so tenderly caressed the violets and the wall…flowers; 

will flutter with just as much love about the honey…suckles; 

the rose; the jessamine; and the carnation。〃 



〃What does all this mean?〃 asked Rosa。 



〃You have abandoned me; Miss Rosa; to seek your pleasure 

elsewhere。 You have done well; and I will not complain。 What 

claim have I to your fidelity?〃 



〃My fidelity!〃 Rosa exclaimed; with her eyes full of tears; 

and without caring any longer to hide from Cornelius this 

dew of pearls dropping on her cheeks; 〃my fidelity! have I 

not been faithful to you?〃 



〃Do you call it faithful to desert me; and to leave me here 

to die?〃 



〃But; Mynheer Cornelius;〃 said Rosa; 〃am I not doing 

everything for you that could give you pleasure? have I not 

devoted myself to your tulip?〃 



〃You are bitter; Rosa; you reproach me with the only 

unalloyed pleasure which I have had in this world。〃 



〃I reproach you with nothing; Mynheer Cornelius; except; 

perhaps; with the intense grief which I felt when people 

came to tell me at the Buytenhof that you were about to be 

put to death。〃 



〃You are displeased; Rosa; my sweet girl; with my loving 

flowers。〃 



〃I am not displeased with your loving them; Mynheer 

Cornelius; only it makes me sad to think that you love them 

better than you do me。〃 



〃Oh; my dear; dear Rosa! look how my hands tremble; look at 

my pale cheek; hear how my heart beats。 It is for you; my 

love; not for the black tulip。 Destroy the bulb; destroy the 

germ of that flower; extinguish the gentle light of that 

innocent and delightful dream; to which I have accustomed 

myself; but love me; Rosa; love me; for I feel deeply that I 

love but you。〃 



〃Yes; after the black tulip;〃 sighed Rosa; who at last no 

longer coyly withdrew her warm hands from the grating; as 

Cornelius most affectionately kissed them。 



〃Above and before everything in this world; Rosa。〃 



〃May I believe you?〃 



〃As you believe in your own existence。〃 



〃Well; then; be it so; but loving me does not bind you too 

much。〃 



〃Unfortunately; it does not bind me more than I am bound; 

but it binds you; Rosa; you。〃 



〃To what?〃 



〃First of all; not to marry。〃 



She smiled。 



〃That's your way;〃 she said; 〃you are tyrants all of you。 

You worship a certain beauty; you think of nothing but her。 

Then you are condemned to death; and whilst walking to the 

scaffold; you devote to her your last sigh; and now you 

expect poor me to sacrifice to you all my dreams and my 

happiness。〃 



〃But who is the beauty you are talking of; Rosa?〃 said 

Cornelius; trying in vain to remember a woman to whom Rosa 

might possibly be alluding。 



〃The dark beauty with a slender waist; small feet; and a 

noble head; in short; I am speaking of your flower。〃 



Cornelius smiled。 



〃That is an imaginary lady love; at all events; whereas; 

without counting that amorous Jacob; you by your own account 

are surrounded with all sorts of swains eager to make love 

to you。 Do you remember Rosa; what you told me of the 

students; officers; and clerks of the Hague? Are there no 

clerks; officers; or students at Loewestein?〃 



〃Indeed there are; and lots of them。〃 



〃Who write letters?〃 



〃They do write。〃 



〃And now; as you know how to read  〃 



Here Cornelius heaved a sigh at the thought; that; poor 

captive as he was; to him alone Rosa owed the faculty of 

reading the love…letters which she received。 



〃As to that;〃 said Rosa; 〃I think that in reading the notes 

addressed to me; and passing the different swains in review 

who send them to me; I am only following your instructions。〃 



〃How so? My instructions?〃 



〃Indeed; your instructions; sir;〃 said Rosa; sighing in her 

turn; 〃have you forgotten the will written by your hand on 

the Bible of Cornelius de Witt? I have not forgotten it; for 

now; as I know how to read; I read it every day over and 

over again。 In that will you bid me to love and marry a 

handsome young man of twenty…six or eight years。 I am on the 

look…out for that young man; and as the whole of my day is 

taken up with your tulip; you must needs leave me the 

evenings to find him。〃 



〃But; Rosa; the will was made in the expectation of death; 

and; thanks to Heaven; I am still alive。〃 



〃Well; then; I shall not be after the handsome young man; 

and I shall come to see you。〃 



〃That's it; Rosa; come! come!〃 



〃Under one condition。〃 



〃Granted beforehand!〃 



〃That the black tulip shall not be mentioned for the next 

three days。〃 



〃It shall never be mentioned any more; if you wish it; 

Rosa。〃 



〃No; no;〃 the damsel said; laughing; 〃I will not ask for 

impossibilities。〃 



And; saying this; she brought her fresh cheek; as if 

unconsciously; so near the iron grating; that Cornelius was 

abl
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