The night was a happy one, and the whole of the next dayhappier still.
During the last few days, the prison had been heavy, dark,and lowering, as it were, with all its weight on theunfortunate captive. Its walls were black, its air chilling,the iron bars seemed to exclude every ray of light.
But when Cornelius awoke next morning, a beam of the morningsun was playing about those iron bars; pigeons were hoveringabout with outspread wings, whilst others were lovinglycooing on the roof or near the still closed window.
Cornelius ran to that window and opened it; it seemed to himas if new life, and joy, and liberty itself were enteringwith this sunbeam into his cell, which, so dreary of late,was now cheered and irradiated by the light of love.
When Gryphus, therefore, came to see his prisoner in themorning, he no longer found him morose and lying in bed, butstanding at the window, and singing a little ditty.
Halloa!" exclaimed the jailer.
How are you this morning?" asked Cornelius.
Gryphus looked at him with a scowl.
And how is the dog, and Master Jacob, and our pretty Rosa?"Gryphus ground his teeth, saying. --"Here is your breakfast.""Thank you, friend Cerberus," said the prisoner; "you arejust in time; I am very hungry.""Oh! you are hungry, are you?" said Gryphus.
And why not?" asked Van Baerle.
The conspiracy seems to thrive," remarked Gryphus.
What conspiracy?""Very well, I know what I know, Master Scholar; just bequiet, we shall be on our guard.""Be on your guard, friend Gryphus; be on your guard as longas you please; my conspiracy, as well as my person, isentirely at your service.""We'll see that at noon."Saying this, Gryphus went out.
At noon?" repeated Cornelius; "what does that mean? Well,let us wait until the clock strikes twelve, and we shallsee."It was very easy for Cornelius to wait for twelve at midday,as he was already waiting for nine at night.
It struck twelve, and there were heard on the staircase notonly the steps of Gryphus, but also those of three or foursoldiers, who were coming up with him.
The door opened. Gryphus entered, led his men in, and shutthe door after them.
There, now search!"They searched not only the pockets of Cornelius, but evenhis person; yet they found nothing.
They then searched the sheets, the mattress, and the strawmattress of his bed; and again they found nothing.
Now, Cornelius rejoiced that he had not taken the thirdsucker under his own care. Gryphus would have been sure toferret it out in the search, and would then have treated itas he did the first.
And certainly never did prisoner look with greatercomplacency at a search made in his cell than Cornelius.
Gryphus retired with the pencil and the two or three leavesof white paper which Rosa had given to Van Baerle, this wasthe only trophy brought back from the expedition.
At six Gryphus came back again, but alone; Cornelius triedto propitiate him, but Gryphus growled, showed a large toothlike a tusk, which he had in the corner of his mouth, andwent out backwards, like a man who is afraid of beingattacked from behind.
Cornelius burst out laughing, to which Gryphus answeredthrough the grating, --"Let him laugh that wins."The winner that day was Cornelius; Rosa came at nine.
She was without a lantern. She needed no longer a light, asshe could now read. Moreover, the light might betray her, asJacob was dogging her steps more than ever. And lastly, thelight would have shown her blushes.
Of what did the young people speak that evening? Of thosematters of which lovers speak at the house doors in France,or from a balcony into the street in Spain, or down from aterrace into a garden in the East.
They spoke of those things which give wings to the hours;they spoke of everything except the black tulip.
At last, when the clock struck ten, they parted as usual.
Cornelius was happy, as thoroughly happy as a tulip-fancierwould be to whom one has not spoken of his tulip.
He found Rosa pretty, good, graceful, and charming.
But why did Rosa object to the tulip being spoken of
This was indeed a great defect in Rosa.
Cornelius confessed to himself, sighing, that woman was notperfect.
Part of the night he thought of this imperfection; that isto say, so long as he was awake he thought of Rosa.
After having fallen asleep, he dreamed of her.
But the Rosa of his dreams was by far more perfect than theRosa of real life. Not only did the Rosa of his dreams speakof the tulip, but also brought to him a black one in a chinavase.
Cornelius then awoke, trembling with joy, and muttering, --"Rosa, Rosa, I love you."And as it was already day, he thought it right not to fallasleep again, and he continued following up the line ofthought in which his mind was engaged when he awoke.
Ah! if Rosa had only conversed about the tulip, Corneliuswould have preferred her to Queen Semiramis, to QueenCleopatra, to Queen Elizabeth, to Queen Anne of Austria;that is to say, to the greatest or most beautiful queenswhom the world has seen.
But Rosa had forbidden it under pain of not returning; Rosahad forbidden the least mention of the tulip for three days.
That meant seventy-two hours given to the lover to be sure;but it was seventy-two hours stolen from the horticulturist.
There was one consolation: of the seventy-two hours duringwhich Rosa would not allow the tulip to be mentioned,thirty-six had passed already; and the remaining thirty-sixwould pass quickly enough: eighteen with waiting for theevening's interview, and eighteen with rejoicing in itsremembrance.
Rosa came at the same hour, and Cornelius submitted mostheroically to the pangs which the compulsory silenceconcerning the tulip gave him.
His fair visitor, however, was well aware that, to commandon the one point, people must yield on another; shetherefore no longer drew back her hands from the grating,and even allowed Cornelius tenderly to kiss her beautifulgolden tresses.
Poor girl! she had no idea that these playful little lovers
tricks were much more dangerous than speaking of the tulipwas; but she became aware of the fact as she returned with abeating heart, with glowing cheeks, dry lips, and moisteyes.
And on the following evening, after the first exchange ofsalutations, she retired a step, looking at him with aglance, the expression of which would have rejoiced hisheart could he but have seen it.
Well," she said, "she is up.""She is up! Who? What?" asked Cornelius, who did not ventureon a belief that Rosa would, of her own accord, haveabridged the term of his probation.
She? Well, my daughter, the tulip," said Rosa.
What!" cried Cornelius, "you give me permission, then?""I do," said Rosa, with the tone of an affectionate motherwho grants a pleasure to her child.
Ah, Rosa!" said Cornelius, putting his lips to the gratingwith the hope of touching a cheek, a hand, a forehead, --anything, in short.
He touched something much better, -- two warm and half openlips.
Rosa uttered a slight scream.
Cornelius understood that he must make haste to continue theconversation. He guessed that this unexpected kiss hadfrightened Rosa.
Is it growing up straight?""Straight as a rocket," said Rosa.
How high?""At least two inches.""Oh, Rosa, take good care of it, and we shall soon see itgrow quickly.""Can I take more care of it?" said she. "Indeed, I think ofnothing else but the tulip.""Of nothing else, Rosa? Why, now I shall grow jealous in myturn.""Oh, you know that to think of the tulip is to think of you;I never lose sight of it. I see it from my bed, on awakingit is the first object that meets my eyes, and on fallingasleep the last on which they rest. During the day I sit andwork by its side, for I have never left my chamber since Iput it there.""You are right Rosa, it is your dowry, you know.""Yes, and with it I may marry a young man of twenty-six ortwenty-eight years, whom I shall be in love with.""Don't talk in that way, you naughty girl."That evening Cornelius was one of the happiest of men. Rosaallowed him to press her hand in his, and to keep it as longas he would, besides which he might talk of his tulip asmuch as he liked.
From that hour every day marked some progress in the growthof the tulip and in the affection of the two young people.
At one time it was that the leaves had expanded, and atanother that the flower itself had formed.
Great was the joy of Cornelius at this news, and hisquestions succeeded one another with a rapidity which gaveproof of their importance.
Formed!" exclaimed Cornelius, "is it really formed?""It is," repeated Rosa.
Cornelius trembled with joy, so much so that he was obligedto hold by the grating.
Good heavens!" he exclaimed.
Then, turning again to Rosa, he continued his questions.
Is the oval regular? the cylinder full? and are the pointsvery green?""The oval is almost one inch long, and tapers like a needle,the cylinder swells at the sides, and the points are readyto open."Two days after Rosa announced that they were open.
Open, Rosa!" cried Cornelius. "Is the involucrum open? butthen one may see and already distinguish ---- "Here the prisoner paused, anxiously taking breath.
Yes," answered Rosa, "one may already distinguish a threadof different colour, as thin as a hair.""And its colour?" asked Cornelius, trembling.
Oh," answered Rosa, "it is very dark!""Brown?""Darker than that.""Darker, my good Rosa, darker? Thank you. Dark as ---- ""Dark as the ink with which I wrote to you."Cornelius uttered a cry of mad joy.
Then, suddenly stopping and clasping his hands, he said, --"Oh, there is not an angel in heaven that may be compared toyou, Rosa!""Indeed!" said Rosa, smiling at his enthusiasm.
Rosa, you have worked with such ardour, -- you have done somuch for me! Rosa, my tulip is about to flower, and it willflower black! Rosa, Rosa, you are the most perfect being onearth!""After the tulip, though.""Ah! be quiet, you malicious little creature, be quiet! Forshame! Do not spoil my pleasure. But tell me, Rosa, -- asthe tulip is so far advanced, it will flower in two or threedays, at the latest?""To-morrow, or the day after.""Ah! and I shall not see it," cried Cornelius, startingback, "I shall not kiss it, as a wonderful work of theAlmighty, as I kiss your hand and your cheek, Rosa, when bychance they are near the grating."Rosa drew near, not by accident, but intentionally, andCornelius kissed her tenderly.
Faith, I shall cull it, if you wish it.""Oh, no, no, Rosa! when it is open, place it carefully inthe shade, and immediately send a message to Haarlem, to thePresident of the Horticultural Society, that the grand blacktulip is in flower. I know well it is far to Haarlem, butwith money you will find a messenger. Have you any money,Rosa?"Rosa smiled.
Oh, yes!" she said.
Enough?" said Cornelius.
I have three hundred guilders.""Oh, if you have three hundred guilders, you must not send amessenger, Rosa, but you must go to Haarlem yourself.""But what in the meantime is to become of the flower?""Oh, the flower! you must take it with you. You understandthat you must not separate from it for an instant.""But whilst I am not separating from it, I am separatingfrom you, Mynheer Cornelius.""Ah! that's true, my sweet Rosa. Oh, my God! how wicked menare! What have I done to offend them, and why have theydeprived me of my liberty? You are right, Rosa, I cannotlive without you. Well, you will send some one to Haarlem,-- that's settled; really, the matter is wonderful enoughfor the President to put himself to some trouble. He willcome himself to Loewestein to see the tulip."Then, suddenly checking himself, he said, with a falteringvoice, --"Rosa, Rosa, if after all it should not flower black!""Oh, surely, surely, you will know to-morrow, or the dayafter.""And to wait until evening to know it, Rosa! I shall diewith impatience. Could we not agree about a signal?""I shall do better than that.""What will you do?""If it opens at night, I shall come and tell you myself. Ifit is day, I shall pass your door, and slip you a noteeither under the door, or through the grating, during thetime between my father's first and second inspection.""Yes, Rosa, let it be so. One word of yours, announcing thisnews to me, will be a double happiness.""There, ten o'clock strikes," said Rosa, "I must now leaveyou.""Yes, yes," said Cornelius, "go, Rosa, go!"Rosa withdrew, almost melancholy, for Cornelius had all butsent her away.
It is true that he did so in order that she might watch overhis black tulip.