Part 18 (1/2)
”Oh, Rosa, take good care of it, and we shall soon see it grow quickly”
”Can I takeelse but the tulip”
”Of nothing else, Rosa? Why, now I shall grow jealous in my turn”
”Oh, you know that to think of the tulip is to think of you; I never lose sight of it I see it fro it is the first object thatasleep the last on which they rest During the day I sit and work by its side, for I have never left ht Rosa, it is your dowry, you know”
”Yes, and with it I ht years, whom I shall be in love with”
”Don't talk in that way, you naughty girl”
That evening Cornelius was one of the happiest of men Rosa allowed hi as he would, besides which he ht talk of his tulip as much as he liked
Frorowth of the tulip and in the affection of the two young people
At one time it was that the leaves had expanded, and at another that the flower itself had formed
Great was the joy of Cornelius at this news, and his questions succeeded one another with a rapidity which gave proof of their importance
”Formed!” exclaimed Cornelius, ”is it really formed?”
”It is,” repeated Rosa
Cornelius treed to hold by the grating
”Good heavens!” he exclaiain to Rosa, he continued his questions
”Is the oval regular? the cylinder full? and are the points very green?”
”The oval is al, and tapers like a needle, the cylinder swells at the sides, and the points are ready to open”
Two days after Rosa announced that they were open
”Open, Rosa!” cried Cornelius ”Is the involucruuish ---- ”
Here the prisoner paused, anxiously taking breath
”Yes,” answered Rosa, ”one uish a thread of different colour, as thin as a hair”
”And its colour?” asked Cornelius, tre
”Oh,” answered Rosa, ”it is very dark!”
”Brown?”
”Darker than that”
”Darker, ood Rosa, darker? Thank you Dark as ---- ”
”Dark as the ink hich I wrote to you”
Cornelius uttered a cry ofhis hands, he said, -- ”Oh, there is not an angel in heaven that may be co at his enthusiasm
”Rosa, you have worked with such ardour, -- you have done so much for me! Rosa, my tulip is about to flower, and it will flower black! Rosa, Rosa, you are the h”
”Ah! be quiet, you malicious little creature, be quiet! For shame! Do not spoil my pleasure But tell me, Rosa, -- as the tulip is so far advanced, it will flower in two or three days, at the latest?”
”To-morrow, or the day after”
”Ah! and I shall not see it,” cried Cornelius, starting back, ”I shall not kiss it, as a wonderful work of the Alhty, as I kiss your hand and your cheek, Rosa, when by chance they are near the grating”
Rosa drew near, not by accident, but intentionally, and Cornelius kissed her tenderly
”Faith, I shall cull it, if you wish it”
”Oh, no, no, Rosa! when it is open, place it carefully in the shade, and ie to Haarlerand black tulip is in flower I knoell it is far to Haarleer Have you any money, Rosa?”
Rosa sh?” said Cornelius
”I have three hundred guilders”
”Oh, if you have three hundred guilders, you o to Haarlem yourself”
”But what in the meantime is to become of the flower?”
”Oh, the flower! you must take it with you You understand that you must not separate fro fro from you, Mynheer Cornelius”
”Ah! that's true, my sweet Rosa Oh, my God! hoicked men are! What have I done to offend theht, Rosa, I cannot live without you Well, you will send some one to Haarleh for the President to put himself to some trouble He will come himself to Loewestein to see the tulip”
Then, suddenly checking hi voice, -- ”Rosa, Rosa, if after all it should not flower black!”
”Oh, surely, surely, you will know to- to know it, Rosa! I shall die with inal?”
”I shall do better than that”