Part 14 (1/2)
In fact, Gryphus was beginning to dig the soil with his crooked fingers
”Take care, sir, take care,” said Cornelius, growing quite pale
”Care of what? Zounds! of what?” roared the jailer
”Take care, I say, you will crush it, Master Gryphus”
And with a rapid and al from the hands of Gryphus, and hid it like a treasure under his arms
But Gryphus, obstinate, like an oldhere a conspiracy against the Prince of Orange, rushed up to his prisoner, raising his stick; seeing, however, the impassible resolution of the captive to protect his flower-pot he was convinced that Cornelius tre
He therefore tried to wrest it from him by force
”Halloa!” said the jailer, furious, ”here, you see, you are rebelling”
”Leave me my tulip,” cried Van Baerle
”Ah, yes, tulip,” replied the old man, ”we knoell the shi+fts of prisoners”
”But I vow to you ---- ”
”Let go,” repeated Gryphus, stauard”
”Call whoever you like, but you shall not have this flower except with er a second time into the soil, and now he drew out the bulb, which certainly looked quite black; and whilst Van Baerle, quite happy to have saved the vessel, did not suspect that the adversary had possessed himself of its precious contents, Gryphus hurled the softened bulb with all his force on the flags, where almost immediately after it was crushed to atoms under his heavy shoe
Van Baerle saw the work of destruction, got a gli the cause of the ferocious joy of Gryphus, uttered a cry of agony, which would have melted the heart even of that ruthless jailer who some years before killed Pelisson's spider
The idea of striking down this spiteful bully passed like lightning through the brain of the tulip-fancier The blood rushed to his brow, and seemed like fire in his eyes, which blinded hi with all the now useless earth which re it on the bald head of old Gryphus
But a cry stopped hi and pale, with her arrated , and thus interposed between her father and her friend
Gryphus then understood the danger hich he had been threatened, and he broke out in a volley of the most terrible abuse
”Indeed,” said Cornelius to him, ”you must be a very mean and spiteful fellow to rob a poor prisoner of his only consolation, a tulip bulb”
”For shame, my father,” Rosa chimed in, ”it is indeed a crime you have committed here”
”Ah, is that you, e and turning towards her; ”don't you o down as quickly as possible”
”Unfortunate rief
”After all, it is but a tulip,” Gryphus resuan to be a little ashamed of himself ”You may have as many tulips as you like: I have three hundred of them in my loft”
”To the devil with your tulips!” cried Cornelius; ”you are worthy of each other: had I a hundred thousand ive them for the one which you have just destroyed”
”Oh, so!” Gryphus said, in a tone of triumph; ”now there we have it It was not your tulip you cared for There was in that false bulb some witchcraft, perhaps sohness who has granted you your life I always said they rong in not cutting your head off”
”Father, father!” cried Rosa
”Yes, yes! it is better as it is now,” repeated Gryphus, groarain, as often as you repeat the trick Didn't I tell you, my fine fellow, that I would make your life a hard one?”
”A curse on you!” Cornelius exclaiathered, with his treers, the remnants of that bulb on which he had rested so many joys and so many hopes
”We shall plant the other to-morrow, my dear Mynheer Cornelius,” said Rosa, in a low voice, who understood the intense grief of the unfortunate tulip-fancier, and ith the pure sacred love of her innocent heart, poured these kind words, like a drop of bal wounds of Cornelius
Chapter 18
Rosa's Lover
Rosa had scarcely pronounced these consolatory words when a voice was heard fro on
”Do you hear, father?” said Rosa
”What?”
”Master Jacob calls you, he is uneasy”
”There was such a noise,” said Gryphus; ”wouldn't you have thought he would murder me, this doctor? They are always very troubleso 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, man! 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 wouldflowers
”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”