irony, especially as coming from an officer of whom he had
heard it said that he was attached to the person of the
Prince.
The unfortunate tulip-fancier then felt that he had no more
resources, and no more friends, and resigned himself to his
fate.
“God’s will be done,” he muttered, bowing his head; then,
turning towards the officer, who seemed complacently to wait
until he had finished his meditations he asked, —
“Please, sir, tell me now, where am I to go?”
The officer pointed to a carriage, drawn by four horses,
which reminded him very strongly of that which, under
similar circumstances, had before attracted his attention at
Buytenhof.
“Enter,” said the officer.
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“Ah!” muttered Cornelius to himself, “it seems they are not
going to treat me to the honours of the Esplanade.”
He uttered these words loud enough for the chatty guard, who
was at his heels, to overhear him.
That kind soul very likely thought it his duty to give
Cornelius some new information; for, approaching the door of
the carriage, whilst the officer, with one foot on the step,
was still giving some orders, he whispered to Van Baerle, —
“Condemned prisoners have sometimes been taken to their own
town to be made an example of, and have then been executed
before the door of their own house. It’s all according to
circumstances.”
Cornelius thanked him by signs, and then said to himself, —
“Well, here is a fellow who never misses giving consolation
whenever an opportunity presents itself. In truth, my
friend, I’m very much obliged to you. Goodbye.”
The carriage drove away.
“Ah! you villain, you brigand,” roared Gryphus, clinching
his fists at the victim who was escaping from his clutches,
“is it not a shame that this fellow gets off without having
restored my daughter to me?”
“If they take me to Dort,” thought Cornelius, “I shall see,
in passing my house, whether my poor borders have been much
spoiled.”
Chapter 30
Wherein the Reader begins to guess the Kind of Execution that
was awaiting Van Baerle
The carriage rolled on during the whole day; it passed on
the right of Dort, went through Rotterdam, and reached
Delft. At five o’clock in the evening, at least twenty
leagues had been travelled.
Cornelius addressed some questions to the officer, who was
at the same time his guard and his companion; but, cautious
as were his inquiries, he had the disappointment of
receiving no answer.
Cornelius regretted that he had no longer by his side the
chatty soldier, who would talk without being questioned.
That obliging person would undoubtedly have given him as
pleasant details and exact explanations concerning this
third strange part of his adventures as he had done
concerning the first two.
The travellers passed the night in the carriage. On the
following morning at dawn Cornelius found himself beyond
Leyden, having the North Sea on his left, and the Zuyder Zee
on his right.
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Three hours after, he entered Haarlem.
Cornelius was not aware of what had passed at Haarlem, and
we shall leave him in ignorance of it until the course of
events enlightens him.
But the reader has a right to know all about it even before
our hero, and therefore we shall not make him wait.
We have seen that Rosa and the tulip, like two orphan
sisters, had been left by Prince William of Orange at the
house of the President van Systens.
Rosa did not hear again from the Stadtholder until the
evening of that day on which she had seen him face to face.
Toward evening, an officer called at Van Systen’s house. He
came from his Highness, with a request for Rosa to appear at
the Town Hall.
There, in the large Council Room into which she was ushered,
she found the Prince writing.
He was alone, with a large Frisian greyhound at his feet,
which looked at him with a steady glance, as if the faithful
animal were wishing to do what no man could do, — read the
thoughts of his master in his face.
William continued his writing for a moment; then, raising