Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

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