Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

the air round it with his breath, that he felt as if no one

had a better right to call himself its producer than he had;

and any one who would now take the black tulip from him

would have appeared to him as a thief.

Yet he did not perceive Rosa; his joy therefore was not

spoiled.

In the centre of a circle of magnificent trees, which were

decorated with garlands and inscriptions, the procession

halted, amidst the sounds of lively music, and the young

damsels of Haarlem made their appearance to escort the tulip

to the raised seat which it was to occupy on the platform,

by the side of the gilded chair of his Highness the

Stadtholder.

And the proud tulip, raised on its pedestal, soon overlooked

the assembled crowd of people, who clapped their hands, and

made the old town of Haarlem re-echo with their tremendous

cheers.

Chapter 32

A Last Request

At this solemn moment, and whilst the cheers still

resounded, a carriage was driving along the road on the

outskirts of the green on which the scene occurred; it

pursued its way slowly, on account of the flocks of children

who were pushed out of the avenue by the crowd of men and

women.

This carriage, covered with dust, and creaking on its axles,

the result of a long journey, enclosed the unfortunate Van

Baerle, who was just beginning to get a glimpse through the

open window of the scene which we have tried — with poor

success, no doubt — to present to the eyes of the reader.

The crowd and the noise and the display of artificial and

natural magnificence were as dazzling to the prisoner as a

ray of light flashing suddenly into his dungeon.

Notwithstanding the little readiness which his companion had

shown in answering his questions concerning his fate, he

ventured once more to ask the meaning of all this bustle,

which at first sight seemed to be utterly disconnected with

his own affairs.

“What is all this, pray, Mynheer Lieutenant?” he asked of

his conductor.

“As you may see, sir,” replied the officer, “it is a feast.”

“Ah, a feast,” said Cornelius, in the sad tone of

indifference of a man to whom no joy remains in this world.

Then, after some moments, silence, during which the carriage

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

had proceeded a few yards, he asked once more, —

“The feast of the patron saint of Haarlem? as I see so many

flowers.”

“It is, indeed, a feast in which flowers play a principal

part.”

“Oh, the sweet scents! oh, the beautiful colours!” cried

Cornelius.

“Stop, that the gentleman may see,” said the officer, with

that frank kindliness which is peculiar to military men, to

the soldier who was acting as postilion.

“Oh, thank you, Sir, for your kindness,” replied Van Baerle,

in a melancholy tone; “the joy of others pains me; please

spare me this pang.”

“Just as you wish. Drive on! I ordered the driver to stop

because I thought it would please you, as you are said to

love flowers, and especially that the feast of which is

celebrated to-day.”

“And what flower is that?”

“The tulip.”

“The tulip!” cried Van Baerle, “is to-day the feast of

tulips?”

“Yes, sir; but as this spectacle displeases you, let us

drive on.”

The officer was about to give the order to proceed, but

Cornelius stopped him, a painful thought having struck him.

He asked, with faltering voice, —

“Is the prize given to-day, sir?”

“Yes, the prize for the black tulip.”

Cornelius’s cheek flushed, his whole frame trembled, and the

cold sweat stood on his brow.

“Alas! sir,” he said, “all these good people will be as

unfortunate as myself, for they will not see the solemnity

which they have come to witness, or at least they will see

it incompletely.”

“What is it you mean to say?”

“I mean to say.” replied Cornelius, throwing himself back in

the carriage, “that the black tulip will not be found,

except by one whom I know.”

“In this case,” said the officer, “the person whom you know

has found it, for the thing which the whole of Haarlem is