The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (ebook offline reader .txt) ๐
Read free book ยซThe Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (ebook offline reader .txt) ๐ยป - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
- Author: Alexandre Dumas
Read book online ยซThe Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (ebook offline reader .txt) ๐ยป. Author - Alexandre Dumas
โA curse on you!โ Cornelius exclaimed, quite beyond himself with despair, as he gathered, with his trembling fingers, the remnants of that bulb on which he had rested so many joys and so many hopes.
โWe shall plant the other to-morrow, my dear Mynheer Cornelius,โ said Rosa, in a low voice, who understood the intense grief of the unfortunate tulip-fancier, and who, with the pure sacred love of her innocent heart, poured these kind words, like a drop of balm, on the bleeding wounds of Cornelius.
Chapter 18. Rosaโs Lover
Rosa had scarcely pronounced these consolatory words when a voice was heard from the staircase asking Gryphus how matters were going on.
โDo you hear, father?โ said Rosa.
โWhat?โ
โMaster Jacob calls you, he is uneasy.โ
โThere was such a noise,โ said Gryphus; โwouldnโt you have thought he would murder me, this doctor? They are always very troublesome fellows, these scholars.โ
Then, pointing with his finger towards the staircase, he said to Rosa: โJust lead the way, Miss.โ
After this he locked the door and called out: โI shall be with you directly, friend Jacob.โ
Poor Cornelius, thus left alone with his bitter grief, muttered to himself,โ
โAh, you old hangman! it is me you have trodden under foot; you have murdered me; I shall not survive it.โ
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.
โAnd how do you know that?โ the prisoner asked, with a doleful look.
โI know it because he has said so.โ
โTo deceive me, perhaps.โ
โNo, he repents.โ
โAh yes! but too late.โ
โThis repentance is not of himself.โ
โAnd who put it into him?โ
โIf you only knew how his friend scolded him!โ
โAh, Master Jacob; he does not leave you, then, that Master Jacob?โ
โAt any rate, he leaves us as little as he can help.โ
Saying this, she smiled in such a way that the little cloud of jealousy which had darkened the brow of Cornelius speedily vanished.
โHow was it?โ asked the prisoner.
โWell, 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.โ
Cornelius heaved a sigh, which might have been called a groan.
โHad you only seen Master Jacob at that moment!โ continued Rosa. โI 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.โ
โโYou have done that,โ he cried, โyou have crushed the bulb?โ
โโIndeed I have.โ
โโIt is infamous,โ said Master Jacob, โit is odious! You have committed a great crime!โ
โMy father was quite dumbfounded.
โโAre you mad, too?โ he asked his friend.โ
โOh, what a worthy man is this Master Jacob!โ muttered Cornelius,โโan honest soul, an excellent heart that he is.โ
โThe 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,โ
โโCrushed, crushed the bulb! my God, my God! crushed!โ
โThen, turning toward me, he asked, โBut it was not the only one that he had?โโ
โDid he ask that?โ inquired Cornelius, with some anxiety.
โโYou think it was not the only one?โ said my father. โVery well, we shall search for the others.โ
โโYou will search for the others?โ cried Jacob, taking my father by the collar; but he immediately loosed him. Then, turning towards me, he continued, asking โAnd what did that poor young man say?โ
โI 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,โ
โโWhat did he say? Didnโt he fume and fret?โ
โI interrupted him, saying, โWas it not natural that he should be furious, you were so unjust and brutal, father?โ
โโWell, now, are you mad?โ cried my father; โwhat immense misfortune is it to crush a tulip bulb? You may buy a hundred of them in the market of Gorcum.โ
โโPerhaps some less precious one than that was!โ I quite incautiously replied.โ
โAnd what did Jacob say or do at these words?โ asked Cornelius.
โAt these words, if I must say it, his eyes seemed to flash like lightning.โ
โBut,โ said Cornelius, โthat was not all; I am sure he said something in his turn.โ
โโSo, then, my pretty Rosa,โ he said, with a voice as sweet a honey,โโso you think that bulb to have been a precious one?โ
โI saw that I had made a blunder.
โโWhat do I know?โ I said, negligently; โdo I understand anything of tulips? I only knowโas unfortunately it is our lot to live with prisonersโthat for them any pastime is of value. This poor Mynheer van Baerle amused himself with this bulb. Well, I think it very cruel to take from him the only thing that he could have amused himself with.โ
โโBut, first of all,โ said my father, โwe ought to know how he has contrived to procure this bulb.โ
โI turned my eyes away to avoid my fatherโs look; but I met those of Jacob.
โIt was as if he had tried to read my thoughts at the bottom of my heart.
โSome little show of anger sometimes saves an answer. I shrugged my
Comments (0)