Rosa, beyond herself and nearly mad with joy and fear at theidea of the black tulip being found again, started for theWhite Swan, followed by the boatman, a stout1 lad fromFrisia, who was strong enough to knock down a dozen Boxtelssingle-handed.
He had been made acquainted in the course of the journeywith the state of affairs, and was not afraid of anyencounter; only he had orders, in such a case, to spare thetulip.
But on arriving in the great market-place Rosa at oncestopped, a sudden thought had struck her, just as Homer'sMinerva seizes Achilles by the hair at the moment when he isabout to be carried away by his anger.
"Good Heaven!" she muttered to herself, "I have made agrievous blunder; it may be I have ruined Cornelius, thetulip, and myself. I have given the alarm, and perhapsawakened suspicion. I am but a woman; these men may leaguethemselves against me, and then I shall be lost. If I amlost that matters nothing, -- but Cornelius and the tulip!"She reflected for a moment.
"If I go to that Boxtel, and do not know him; if that Boxtelis not my Jacob, but another fancier, who has alsodiscovered the black tulip; or if my tulip has been stolenby some one else, or has already passed into the hands of athird person; -- if I do not recognize the man, only thetulip, how shall I prove that it belongs to me? On the otherhand, if I recognise this Boxtel as Jacob, who knows whatwill come out of it? whilst we are contesting with eachother, the tulip will die."In the meanwhile, a great noise was heard, like the distantroar of the sea, at the other extremity2 of the market-place.
People were running about, doors opening and shutting, Rosaalone was unconscious of all this hubbub3 among themultitude.
"We must return to the President," she muttered.
"Well, then, let us return," said the boatman.
They took a small street, which led them straight to themansion of Mynheer van Systens, who with his best pen in hisfinest hand continued to draw up his report.
Everywhere on her way Rosa heard people speaking only of theblack tulip, and the prize of a hundred thousand guilders.
The news had spread like wildfire through the town.
Rosa had not a little difficulty is penetrating4 a secondtime into the office of Mynheer van Systens, who, however,was again moved by the magic name of the black tulip.
But when he recognised Rosa, whom in his own mind he had setdown as mad, or even worse, he grew angry, and wanted tosend her away.
Rosa, however, clasped her hands, and said with that tone ofhonest truth which generally finds its way to the hearts ofmen, --"For Heaven's sake, sir, do not turn me away; listen to whatI have to tell you, and if it be not possible for you to dome5 justice, at least you will not one day have to reproachyourself before God for having made yourself the accompliceof a bad action."Van Systens stamped his foot with impatience6; it was thesecond time that Rosa interrupted him in the midst of acomposition which stimulated7 his vanity, both as aburgomaster and as President of the Horticultural Society.
"But my report!" he cried, -- "my report on the blacktulip!""Mynheer van Systens," Rosa continued, with the firmness ofinnocence and truth, "your report on the black tulip will,if you don't hear me, be based on crime or on falsehood. Iimplore you, sir, let this Master Boxtel, whom I assert tobe Master Jacob, be brought here before you and me, and Iswear that I will leave him in undisturbed possession of thetulip if I do not recognise the flower and its holder8.""Well, I declare, here is a proposal," said Van Systens.
"What do you mean?""I ask you what can be proved by your recognising them?""After all," said Rosa, in her despair, "you are an honestman, sir; how would you feel if one day you found out thatyou had given the prize to a man for something which he notonly had not produced, but which he had even stolen?"Rosa's speech seemed to have brought a certain convictioninto the heart of Van Systens, and he was going to answerher in a gentler tone, when at once a great noise was heardin the street, and loud cheers shook the house.
"What is this?" cried the burgomaster; "what is this? Is itpossible? have I heard aright?"And he rushed towards his anteroom, without any longerheeding Rosa, whom he left in his cabinet.
Scarcely had he reached his anteroom when he cried out aloudon seeing his staircase invaded, up to the verylanding-place, by the multitude, which was accompanying, orrather following, a young man, simply clad in aviolet-coloured velvet9, embroidered10 with silver; who, with acertain aristocratic slowness, ascended11 the white stonesteps of the house.
In his wake followed two officers, one of the navy, and theother of the cavalry12.
Van Systens, having found his way through the frighteneddomestics, began to bow, almost to prostrate13 himself beforehis visitor, who had been the cause of all this stir.
"Monseigneur," he called out, "Monseigneur! Whatdistinguished honour is your Highness bestowing14 for ever onmy humble15 house by your visit?""Dear Mynheer van Systens," said William of Orange, with aserenity which, with him, took the place of a smile, "I am atrue Hollander, I am fond of the water, of beer, and offlowers, sometimes even of that cheese the flavour of whichseems so grateful to the French; the flower which I preferto all others is, of course, the tulip. I heard at Leydenthat the city of Haarlem at last possessed16 the black tulip;and, after having satisfied myself of the truth of newswhich seemed so incredible, I have come to know all about itfrom the President of the Horticultural Society.""Oh, Monseigneur, Monseigneur!" said Van Systens, "whatglory to the society if its endeavours are pleasing to yourHighness!""Have you got the flower here?" said the Prince, who, verylikely, already regretted having made such a long speech.
"I am sorry to say we have not.""And where is it?""With its owner.""Who is he?""An honest tulip-grower of Dort.""His name?""Boxtel.""His quarters?""At the White Swan; I shall send for him, and if in themeanwhile your Highness will do me the honour of steppinginto my drawing-room, he will be sure -- knowing that yourHighness is here -- to lose no time in bringing his tulip.""Very well, send for him.""Yes, your Highness, but ----"What is it?""Oh, nothing of any consequence, Monseigneur.""Everything is of consequence, Mynheer van Systens.""Well, then, Monseigneur, if it must be said, a littledifficulty has presented itself.""What difficulty?""This tulip has already been claimed by usurpers. It's truethat it is worth a hundred thousand guilders.""Indeed!""Yes, Monseigneur, by usurpers, by forgers.""This is a crime, Mynheer van Systens.""So it is, your Highness.""And have you any proofs of their guilt17? '
"No, Monseigneur, the guilty woman ---- ""The guilty woman, Sir?""I ought to say, the woman who claims the tulip,Monseigneur, is here in the room close by.""And what do you think of her?""I think, Monseigneur, that the bait of a hundred thousandguilders may have tempted18 her.""And so she claims the tulip?""Yes Monseigneur.""And what proof does she offer?""I was just going to question her when your Highness camein.""Question her, Mynheer van Systens, question her. I am thefirst magistrate19 of the country; I will hear the case andadminister justice.""I have found my King Solomon," said Van Systens, bowing,and showing the way to the Prince.
His Highness was just going to walk ahead, but, suddenlyrecollecting himself he said --"Go before me, and call me plain Mynheer."The two then entered the cabinet.
Rosa was still standing20 at the same place, leaning on thewindow, and looking through the panes21 into the garden.
"Ah! a Frisian girl," said the Prince, as he observed Rosa'sgold brocade headdress and red petticoat.
At the noise of their footsteps she turned round, butscarcely saw the Prince, who seated himself in the darkestcorner of the apartment.
All her attention, as may be easily imagined, was fixed22 onthat important person who was called Van Systens, so thatshe had no time to notice the humble stranger who wasfollowing the master of the house, and who, for aught sheknew, might be somebody or nobody.
The humble stranger took a book down from the shelf, andmade Van Systens a sign to commence the examinationforthwith.
Van Systens, likewise at the invitation of the young man inthe violet coat, sat down in his turn, and, quite happy andproud of the importance thus cast upon him, began, --"My child, you promise to tell me the truth and the entiretruth concerning this tulip?""I promise.""Well, then, speak before this gentleman; this gentleman isone of the members of the Horticultural Society.""What am I to tell you, sir," said Rosa, "beside that whichI have told you already.""Well, then, what is it?""I repeat the question I have addressed to you before.""Which?""That you will order Mynheer Boxtel to come here with histulip. If I do not recognise it as mine I will frankly23 tellit; but if I do recognise it I will reclaim24 it, even if I gobefore his Highness the Stadtholder himself, with my proofsin my hands.""You have, then, some proofs, my child?""God, who knows my good right, will assist me to some."Van Systens exchanged a look with the Prince, who, since thefirst words of Rosa, seemed to try to remember her, as if itwere not for the first time that this sweet voice rang inhis ears.
An officer went off to fetch Boxtel, and Van Systens in themeanwhile continued his examination.
"And with what do you support your assertion that you arethe real owner of the black tulip?""With the very simple fact of my having planted and grown itin my own chamber25.""In your chamber? Where was your chamber?""At Loewestein.""You are from Loewestein?""I am the daughter of the jailer of the fortress26."The Prince made a little movement, as much as to say, "Well,that's it, I remember now."And, all the while feigning27 to be engaged with his book, hewatched Rosa with even more attention than he had before.
"And you are fond of flowers?" continued Mynheer vanSystens.
"Yes, sir.""Then you are an experienced florist28, I dare say?"Rosa hesitated a moment; then with a tone which came fromthe depth of her heart, she said, --"Gentlemen, I am speaking to men of honor."There was such an expression of truth in the tone of hervoice, that Van Systens and the Prince answeredsimultaneously by an affirmative movement of their heads.
"Well, then, I am not an experienced florist; I am only apoor girl, one of the people, who, three months ago, knewneither how to read nor how to write. No, the black tuliphas not been found by myself.""But by whom else?""By a poor prisoner of Loewestein.""By a prisoner of Loewestein?" repeated the Prince.
The tone of his voice startled Rosa, who was sure she hadheard it before.
"By a prisoner of state, then," continued the Prince, "asthere are none else there."Having said this he began to read again, at least inappearance.
"Yes," said Rosa, with a faltering29 voice, "yes, by aprisoner of state."Van Systens trembled as he heard such a confession30 made inthe presence of such a witness.
"Continue," said William dryly, to the President of theHorticultural Society.
"Ah, sir," said Rosa, addressing the person whom she thoughtto be her real judge, "I am going to incriminate myself veryseriously.""Certainly," said Van Systens, "the prisoner of state oughtto be kept in close confinement31 at Loewestein.""Alas32! sir.""And from what you tell me you took advantage of yourposition, as daughter of the jailer, to communicate with aprisoner of state about the cultivation33 of flowers.""So it is, sir," Rosa murmured in dismay; "yes, I am boundto confess, I saw him every day.""Unfortunate girl!" exclaimed Van Systens.
The Prince, observing the fright of Rosa and the pallor ofthe President, raised his head, and said, in his clear anddecided tone, --"This cannot signify anything to the members of theHorticultural Society; they have to judge on the blacktulip, and have no cognizance to take of political offences.
Go on, young woman, go on."Van Systens, by means of an eloquent34 glance, offered, in thename of the tulip, his thanks to the new member of theHorticultural Society.
Rosa, reassured35 by this sort of encouragement which thestranger was giving her, related all that had happened forthe last three months, all that she had done, and all thatshe had suffered. She described the cruelty of Gryphus; thedestruction of the first bulb; the grief of the prisoner;the precautions taken to insure the success of the secondbulb; the patience of the prisoner and his anxiety duringtheir separation; how he was about to starve himself becausehe had no longer any news of his tulip; his joy when shewent to see him again; and, lastly, their despair when theyfound that the tulip which had come into flower was stolenjust one hour after it had opened.
All this was detailed36 with an accent of truth which,although producing no change in the impassible mien37 of thePrince, did not fail to take effect on Van Systens.
"But," said the Prince, "it cannot be long since you knewthe prisoner."Rosa opened her large eyes and looked at the stranger, whodrew back into the dark corner, as if he wished to escapeher observation.
"Why, sir?" she asked him.
"Because it is not yet four months since the jailer Gryphusand his daughter were removed to Loewestein.""That is true, sir.""Otherwise, you must have solicited38 the transfer of yourfather, in order to be able to follow some prisoner who mayhave been transported from the Hague to Loewestein.""Sir," said Rosa, blushing.
"Finish what you have to say," said William.
"I confess I knew the prisoner at the Hague.""Happy prisoner!" said William, smiling.
At this moment the officer who had been sent for Boxtelreturned, and announced to the Prince that the person whomhe had been to fetch was following on his heels with his tulip.
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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reclaim
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| v.要求归还，收回；开垦 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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feigning
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| 假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等） | |
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florist
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| n.花商；种花者 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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solicited
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| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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