Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

Page 69

Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

Cornelius’s cell, when a white and trembling arm interposed

between him and the heavy door.

Cornelius saw nothing but the golden brocade cap, tipped

with lace, such as the Frisian girls wore; he heard nothing

but some one whispering into the ear of the turnkey. But the

latter put his heavy keys into the white hand which was

stretched out to receive them, and, descending some steps,

sat down on the staircase which was thus guarded above by

himself, and below by the dog. The head-dress turned round,

and Cornelius beheld the face of Rosa, blanched with grief,

and her beautiful eyes streaming with tears.

She went up to Cornelius, crossing her arms on her heaving

breast.

“Oh, sir, sir!” she said, but sobs choked her utterance.

“My good girl,” Cornelius replied with emotion, “what do you

wish? I may tell you that my time on earth is short.”

“I come to ask a favour of you,” said Rosa, extending her

arms partly towards him and partly towards heaven.

“Don’t weep so, Rosa,” said the prisoner, “for your tears go

much more to my heart than my approaching fate, and you

know, the less guilty a prisoner is, the more it is his duty

to die calmly, and even joyfully, as he dies a martyr. Come,

there’s a dear, don’t cry any more, and tell me what you

want, my pretty Rosa.”

She fell on her knees. “Forgive my father,” she said.

“Your father, your father!” said Cornelius, astonished.

“Yes, he has been so harsh to you; but it is his nature, he

is so to every one, and you are not the only one whom he has

bullied.”

“He is punished, my dear Rosa, more than punished, by the

accident that has befallen him, and I forgive him.”

“I thank you, sir,” said Rosa. “And now tell me — oh, tell

me — can I do anything for you?”

“You can dry your beautiful eyes, my dear child,” answered

Cornelius, with a good-tempered smile.

“But what can I do for you, — for you I mean?”

“A man who has only one hour longer to live must be a great

Sybarite still to want anything, my dear Rosa.”

“The clergyman whom they have proposed to you?”

“I have worshipped God all my life, I have worshipped Him in

His works, and praised Him in His decrees. I am at peace

with Him and do not wish for a clergyman. The last thought

which occupies my mind, however has reference to the glory

of the Almighty, and, indeed, my dear, I should ask you to

help me in carrying out this last thought.”

“Oh, Mynheer Cornelius, speak, speak!” exclaimed Rosa, still

bathed in tears.

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

“Give me your hand, and promise me not to laugh, my dear

child.”

“Laugh,” exclaimed Rosa, frantic with grief, “laugh at this

moment! do you not see my tears?”

“Rosa, you are no stranger to me. I have not seen much of

you, but that little is enough to make me appreciate your

character. I have never seen a woman more fair or more pure

than you are, and if from this moment I take no more notice

of you, forgive me; it is only because, on leaving this

world, I do not wish to have any further regret.”

Rosa felt a shudder creeping over her frame, for, whilst the

prisoner pronounced these words, the belfry clock of the

Buytenhof struck eleven.

Cornelius understood her. “Yes, yes, let us make haste,” he

said, “you are right, Rosa.”

Then, taking the paper with the three suckers from his

breast, where he had again put it, since he had no longer

any fear of being searched, he said: “My dear girl, I have

been very fond of flowers. That was at a time when I did not

know that there was anything else to be loved. Don’t blush,

Rosa, nor turn away; and even if I were making you a

declaration of love, alas! poor dear, it would be of no more

consequence. Down there in the yard, there is an instrument

of steel, which in sixty minutes will put an end to my