Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

“There was such a noise,” said Gryphus; “wouldn’t you have

thought he would murder me, this doctor? They are always

very troublesome fellows, these scholars.”

Then, pointing with his finger towards the staircase, he

said to Rosa: “Just lead the way, Miss.”

After this he locked the door and called out: “I shall be

with you directly, friend Jacob.”

Poor Cornelius, thus left alone with his bitter grief,

muttered to himself, —

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

“Ah, you old hangman! it is me you have trodden under foot;

you have murdered me; I shall not survive it.”

And certainly the unfortunate prisoner would have fallen ill

but for the counterpoise which Providence had granted to his

grief, and which was called Rosa.

In the evening she came back. Her first words announced to

Cornelius that henceforth her father would make no objection

to his cultivating flowers.

“And how do you know that?” the prisoner asked, with a

doleful look.

“I know it because he has said so.”

“To deceive me, perhaps.”

“No, he repents.”

“Ah yes! but too late.”

“This repentance is not of himself.”

“And who put it into him?”

“If you only knew how his friend scolded him!”

“Ah, Master Jacob; he does not leave you, then, that Master

Jacob?”

“At any rate, he leaves us as little as he can help.”

Saying this, she smiled in such a way that the little cloud

of jealousy which had darkened the brow of Cornelius

speedily vanished.

“How was it?” asked the prisoner.

“Well, being asked by his friend, my father told at supper

the whole story of the tulip, or rather of the bulb, and of

his own fine exploit of crushing it.”

Cornelius heaved a sigh, which might have been called a

groan.

“Had you only seen Master Jacob at that moment!” continued

Rosa. “I really thought he would set fire to the castle; his

eyes were like two flaming torches, his hair stood on end,

and he clinched his fist for a moment; I thought he would

have strangled my father.”

“‘You have done that,’ he cried, ‘you have crushed the

bulb?’

“‘Indeed I have.’

“‘It is infamous,’ said Master Jacob, ‘it is odious! You

have committed a great crime!’

“My father was quite dumbfounded.

“‘Are you mad, too?’ he asked his friend.”

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

“Oh, what a worthy man is this Master Jacob!” muttered

Cornelius, — “an honest soul, an excellent heart that he

is.”

“The truth is, that it is impossible to treat a man more

rudely than he did my father; he was really quite in

despair, repeating over and over again, —

“‘Crushed, crushed the bulb! my God, my God! crushed!’

“Then, turning toward me, he asked, ‘But it was not the only

one that he had?'”

“Did he ask that?” inquired Cornelius, with some anxiety.

“‘You think it was not the only one?’ said my father. ‘Very

well, we shall search for the others.’

“‘You will search for the others?’ cried Jacob, taking my

father by the collar; but he immediately loosed him. Then,

turning towards me, he continued, asking ‘And what did that

poor young man say?’

“I did not know what to answer, as you had so strictly

enjoined me never to allow any one to guess the interest

which you are taking in the bulb. Fortunately, my father

saved me from the difficulty by chiming in, —

“‘What did he say? Didn’t he fume and fret?’

“I interrupted him, saying, ‘Was it not natural that be

should be furious, you were so unjust and brutal, father?’

“‘Well, now, are you mad?’ cried my father; ‘what immense

misfortune is it to crush a tulip bulb? You may buy a

hundred of them in the market of Gorcum.’

“‘Perhaps some less precious one than that was!’ I quite

incautiously replied.”

“And what did Jacob say or do at these words?” asked

Cornelius.

“At these words, if I must say it, his eyes seemed to flash

like lightning.”

“But,” said Cornelius, “that was not all; I am sure he said

something in his turn.”

“‘So, then, my pretty Rosa,’ he said, with a voice as sweet