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bursting into tears； and throwing herself at the feet of the
Stadtholder； who； although thinking her guilty； felt pity
for her dreadful agony。
〃You have done very wrong； my child；〃 he said； 〃and your
lover shall be punished for having thus badly advised you。
For you are so young； and have such an honest look； that I
am inclined to believe the mischief to have been his doing；
and not yours。〃
〃Monseigneur！ Monseigneur！〃 cried Rosa； 〃Cornelius is not
guilty。〃
William started。
〃Not guilty of having advised you？ that's what you want to
say； is it not？〃
〃What I wish to say； your Highness； is that Cornelius is as
little guilty of the second crime imputed to him as he was
of the first。〃
〃Of the first？ And do you know what was his first crime？ Do
you know of what he was accused and convicted？ Of having； as
an accomplice of Cornelius de Witt； concealed the
correspondence of the Grand Pensionary and the Marquis de
Louvois。〃
〃Well； sir； he was ignorant of this correspondence being
deposited with him； completely ignorant。 I am as certain as
of my life； that； if it were not so； he would have told me；
for how could that pure mind have harboured a secret without
revealing it to me？ No； no； your Highness； I repeat it； and
even at the risk of incurring your displeasure； Cornelius is
no more guilty of the first crime than of the second； and of
the second no more than of the first。 Oh； would to Heaven
that you knew my Cornelius； Monseigneur！〃
〃He is a De Witt！〃 cried Boxtel。 〃His Highness knows only
too much of him； having once granted him his life。〃
〃Silence！〃 said the Prince； 〃all these affairs of state； as
I have already said； are completely out of the province of
the Horticultural Society of Haarlem。〃
Then； knitting his brow； he added；
〃As to the tulip； make yourself easy； Master Boxtel； you
shall have justice done to you。〃
Boxtel bowed with a heart full of joy； and received the
congratulations of the President。
〃You； my child；〃 William of Orange continued； 〃you were
going to commit a crime。 I will not punish you； but the real
evil…doer shall pay the penalty for both。 A man of his name
may be a conspirator； and even a traitor； but he ought not
to be a thief。〃
〃A thief！〃 cried Rosa。 〃Cornelius a thief？ Pray； your
Highness； do not say such a word； it would kill him； if he
knew it。 If theft there has been； I swear to you； Sir； no
one else but this man has committed it。〃
〃Prove it；〃 Boxtel coolly remarked。
〃I shall prove it。 With God's help I shall。〃
Then； turning towards Boxtel； she asked；
〃The tulip is yours？〃
〃It is。〃
〃How many bulbs were there of it？〃
Boxtel hesitated for a moment； but after a short
consideration he came to the conclusion that she would not
ask this question if there were none besides the two bulbs
of which he had known already。 He therefore answered；
〃Three。〃
〃What has become of these bulbs？〃
〃Oh！ what has become of them？ Well； one has failed； the
second has produced the black tulip。〃
〃And the third？
〃The third！〃
〃The third； where is it？〃
〃I have it at home；〃 said Boxtel； quite confused。
〃At home？ Where？ At Loewestein； or at Dort？〃
〃At Dort；〃 said Boxtel。
〃You lie！〃 cried Rosa。 〃Monseigneur；〃 she continued； whilst
turning round to the Prince； 〃I will tell you the true story
of these three bulbs。 The first was crushed by my father in
the prisoner's cell； and this man is quite aware of it； for
he himself wanted to get hold of it； and； being balked in
his hope； he very nearly fell out with my father； who had
been the cause of his disappointment。 The second bulb；
planted by me； has produced the black tulip； and the third
and last〃 saying this； she drew it from her bosom
〃here it is； in the very same paper in which it was wrapped
up together with the two others。 When about to be led to the
scaffold； Cornelius van Baerle gave me all the three。 Take
it； Monseigneur； take it。〃
And Rosa； unfolding the paper； offered the bulb to the
Prince； who took it from her hands and examined it。
〃But； Monseigneur； this young woman may have stolen the
bulb； as she did the tulip；〃 Boxtel said； with a faltering
voice； and evidently alarmed at the attention with which the
Prince examined the bulb； and even more at the movements of
Rosa； who was reading some lines written on the paper which
remained in her hands。
Her eyes suddenly lighted up； she read； with breathless
anxiety； the mysterious paper over and over again； and at
last； uttering a cry； held it out to the Prince and said；
〃Read； Monseigneur； for Heaven's sake； read！〃
William handed the third bulb to Van Systens； took the
paper； and read。
No sooner had he looked at it than he began to stagger； his
hand trembled； and very nearly let the paper fall to the
ground； and the expression of pain and compassion in his
features was really frightful to see。
It was that fly…leaf； taken from the Bible； which Cornelius
de Witt had sent to Dort by Craeke； the servant of his
brother John； to request Van Baerle to burn the
correspondence of the Grand Pensionary with the Marquis de
Louvois。
This request； as the reader may remember； was couched in the
following terms：
〃My Dear Godson；
〃Burn the parcel which I have intrusted to you。 Burn it
without looking at it； and without opening it； so that its
contents may for ever remain unknown to yourself。 Secrets of
this description are death to those with whom they are
deposited。 Burn it； and you will have saved John and
Cornelius de Witt。
〃Farewell； and love me。
Cornelius de Witt。
〃August 20； 1672。〃
This slip of paper offered the proofs both of Van Baerle's
innocence and of his claim to the property of the tulip。
Rosa and the Stadtholder exchanged one look only。
That of Rosa was meant to express； 〃Here； you see yourself。〃
That of the Stadtholder signified； 〃Be quiet； and wait。〃
The Prince wiped the cold sweat from his forehead； and
slowly folded up the paper； whilst his thoughts were
wandering in that labyrinth without a goal and without a
guide； which is called remorse and shame for the past。
Soon； however； raising his head with an effort； he said； in
his usual voice；
〃Go； Mr。 Boxtel； justice shall be done； I promise you。〃
Then； turning to the President； he added；
〃You； my dear Mynheer van Systens； take charge of this young
woman and of the tulip。 Good…bye。〃
All bowed； and the Prince left； among the deafening cheers
of the crowd outside。
Boxtel returned to his inn； rather puzzled and uneasy；
tormented by misgivings about that paper which William had
received from the hand of Rosa； and which his Highness had
read； folded up； and so carefully put in his pocket。 What
was the meaning of all this？
Rosa went up to the tulip； tenderly kissed its leaves and；
with a heart full of happiness and confidence in the ways of
God； broke out in the words；
〃Thou knowest best for what end Thou madest my good
Cornelius teach me to read。〃
Chapter 28
The Hymn of the Flowers
Whilst the events we have described in our last chapter were
taking place； the unfortunate Van Baerle； forgotten in his
cell in the fortress of Loewestein； suffered at the hands of
Gryphus all that a prisoner can suffer when his jailer has
formed the determination of playing the part of hangman。
Gryphus； not having received any tidings of Rosa or of
Jacob； persuaded himself that all that had happened was the
devil's work； and that Dr。 Cornelius van Baerle had been
sent on earth by Satan。
The result of it was； that； one fine morning； the third
after the disappearance of Jacob and Rosa； he went up to the
cell of Cornelius in even a greater rage than usual。
The latter； leaning with his elbows on the window…sill and
supporting his head with his two hands； whilst his eyes
wandered over the distant hazy horizon where the windmills
of Dort were turning their sails； was breathing the fresh
air； in order to be able to keep down his tears and to
fortify himself in his philosophy。
The pigeons were still there； but hope was not there； there
was no future to look forward to。
Alas！ Rosa； being watched； was no longer able to come。 Could
she not write？ and if so； could she convey her letters to
him？
No； no。 He had seen during the two preceding days too much
fury and malignity in the eyes of old Gryphus to expect that
his vigilance would relax； even for one moment。 Moreover；
had not she to suffer even worse torments than those of
seclusion and separation？ Did this brutal； blaspheming；