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the black tulip-第46章

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evening of that day on which she had seen him face to face。 



Toward evening; an officer called at Van Systen's house。 He 

came from his Highness; with a request for Rosa to appear at 

the Town Hall。 



There; in the large Council Room into which she was ushered; 

she found the Prince writing。 



He was alone; with a large Frisian greyhound at his feet; 

which looked at him with a steady glance; as if the faithful 

animal were wishing to do what no man could do;  read the 

thoughts of his master in his face。 



William continued his writing for a moment; then; raising 

his eyes; and seeing Rosa standing near the door; he said; 

without laying down his pen;  



〃Come here; my child。〃 



Rosa advanced a few steps towards the table。 



〃Sit down;〃 he said。 



Rosa obeyed; for the Prince was fixing his eyes upon her; 

but he had scarcely turned them again to his paper when she 

bashfully retired to the door。 



The Prince finished his letter。 



During this time; the greyhound went up to Rosa; surveyed 

her and began to caress her。 



〃Ah; ah!〃 said William to his dog; 〃it's easy to see that 

she is a countrywoman of yours; and that you recognise her。〃 



Then; turning towards Rosa; and fixing on her his 

scrutinising; and at the same time impenetrable glance; he 

said;  



〃Now; my child。〃 



The Prince was scarcely twenty…three; and Rosa eighteen or 

twenty。 He might therefore perhaps better have said; My 

sister。 



〃My child;〃 he said; with that strangely commanding accent 

which chilled all those who approached him; 〃we are alone; 

let us speak together。〃 



Rosa began to tremble; and yet there was nothing but 

kindness in the expression of the Prince's face。 



〃Monseigneur;〃 she stammered。 



〃You have a father at Loewestein?〃 



〃Yes; your Highness。〃 



〃You do not love him?〃 



〃I do not; at least; not as a daughter ought to do; 

Monseigneur。〃 



〃It is not right not to love one's father; but it is right 

not to tell a falsehood。〃 



Rosa cast her eyes to the ground。 



〃What is the reason of your not loving your father?〃 



〃He is wicked。〃 



〃In what way does he show his wickedness?〃 



〃He ill…treats the prisoners。〃 



〃All of them?〃 



〃All。〃 



〃But don't you bear him a grudge for ill…treating some one 

in particular?〃 



〃My father ill…treats in particular Mynheer van Baerle; who 

 〃 



〃Who is your lover?〃 



Rosa started back a step。 



〃Whom I love; Monseigneur;〃 she answered proudly。 



〃Since when?〃 asked the Prince。 



〃Since the day when I first saw him。〃 



〃And when was that?〃 



〃The day after that on which the Grand Pensionary John and 

his brother Cornelius met with such an awful death。〃 



The Prince compressed his lips; and knit his brow and his 

eyelids dropped so as to hide his eyes for an instant。 After 

a momentary silence; he resumed the conversation。 



〃But to what can it lead to love a man who is doomed to live 

and die in prison?〃 



〃It will lead; if he lives and dies in prison; to my aiding 

him in life and in death。〃 



〃And would you accept the lot of being the wife of a 

prisoner?〃 



〃As the wife of Mynheer van Baerle; I should; under any 

circumstances; be the proudest and happiest woman in the 

world; but  〃 



〃But what?〃 



〃I dare not say; Monseigneur。〃 



〃There is something like hope in your tone; what do you 

hope?〃 



She raised her moist and beautiful eyes; and looked at 

William with a glance full of meaning; which was calculated 

to stir up in the recesses of his heart the clemency which 

was slumbering there。 



〃Ah; I understand you;〃 he said。 



Rosa; with a smile; clasped her hands。 



〃You hope in me?〃 said the Prince。 



〃Yes; Monseigneur。〃 



〃Umph!〃 



The Prince sealed the letter which he had just written; and 

summoned one of his officers; to whom he said;  



〃Captain van Deken; carry this despatch to Loewestein; you 

will read the orders which I give to the Governor; and 

execute them as far as they regard you。〃 



The officer bowed; and a few minutes afterwards the gallop 

of a horse was heard resounding in the vaulted archway。 



〃My child;〃 continued the Prince; 〃the feast of the tulip 

will be on Sunday next; that is to say; the day after 

to…morrow。 Make yourself smart with these five hundred 

guilders; as I wish that day to be a great day for you。〃 



〃How does your Highness wish me to be dressed?〃 faltered 

Rosa。 



〃Take the costume of a Frisian bride。〃 said William; 〃it 

will suit you very well indeed。〃 









Chapter 31



Haarlem





Haarlem; whither; three days ago; we conducted our gentle 

reader; and whither we request him to follow us once more in 

the footsteps of the prisoner; is a pleasant city; which 

justly prides itself on being one of the most shady in all 

the Netherlands。 



While other towns boast of the magnificence of their 

arsenals and dock…yards; and the splendour of their shops 

and markets; Haarlem's claims to fame rest upon her 

superiority to all other provincial cities in the number and 

beauty of her spreading elms; graceful poplars; and; more 

than all; upon her pleasant walks; shaded by the lovely 

arches of magnificent oaks; lindens; and chestnuts。 



Haarlem;  just as her neighbour; Leyden; became the centre 

of science; and her queen; Amsterdam; that of commerce;  

Haarlem preferred to be the agricultural; or; more strictly 

speaking; the horticultural metropolis。 



In fact; girt about as she was; breezy and exposed to the 

sun's hot rays; she seemed to offer to gardeners so many 

more guarantees of success than other places; with their 

heavy sea air; and their scorching heat。 



On this account all the serene souls who loved the earth and 

its fruits had gradually gathered together at Haarlem; just 

as all the nervous; uneasy spirits; whose ambition was for 

travel and commerce; had settled in Rotterdam and Amsterdam; 

and all the politicians and selfish worldlings at the Hague。 



We have observed that Leyden overflowed with scholars。 In 

like manner Haarlem was devoted to the gentle pursuits of 

peace;  to music and painting; orchards and avenues; 

groves and parks。 Haarlem went wild about flowers; and 

tulips received their full share of worship。 



Haarlem offered prizes for tulip…growing; and this fact 

brings us in the most natural manner to that celebration 

which the city intended to hold on May 15th; 1673 in honour 

of the great black tulip; immaculate and perfect; which 

should gain for its discoverer one hundred thousand 

guilders! 



Haarlem; having placed on exhibition its favourite; having 

advertised its love of flowers in general and of tulips in 

particular; at a period when the souls of men were filled 

with war and sedition;  Haarlem; having enjoyed the 

exquisite pleasure of admiring the very purest ideal of 

tulips in full bloom;  Haarlem; this tiny town; full of 

trees and of sunshine; of light and shade; had determined 

that the ceremony of bestowing the prize should be a fete 

which should live for ever in the memory of men。 



So much the more reason was there; too; in her 

determination; in that Holland is the home of fetes; never 

did sluggish natures manifest more eager energy of the 

singing and dancing sort than those of the good republicans 

of the Seven Provinces when amusement was the order of the 

day。 



Study the pictures of the two Teniers。 



It is certain that sluggish folk are of all men the most 

earnest in tiring themselves; not when they are at work; but 

at play。 



Thus Haarlem was thrice given over to rejoicing; for a 

three…fold celebration was to take place。 



In the first place; the black tulip had been produced; 

secondly; the Prince William of Orange; as a true Hollander; 

had promised to be present at the ceremony of its 

inauguration; and; thirdly; it was a point of honour with 

the States to show to the French; at the conclusion of such 

a disastrous war as that of 1672; that the flooring of the 

Batavian Republic was solid enough for its people to dance 

on it; with the accompaniment of the cannon of their fleets。 



The Horticultural Society of Haarlem had shown itself worthy 

of its fame by giving a hundred thousand guilders for the 

bulb of a tulip。 The town; which did not wish to be outdone; 

voted a like sum; which was placed in the hands of that 

notable body to solemnise the auspicious event。 



And indeed on the Sunday fixed for this ceremony there was 

such a stir among the people; and such an enthusiasm among 

the townsfolk; that even a Frenchman; who laughs at 

everything at all times; could not have helped admiring the 

character of those honest Hollanders; who were equally ready 
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