to　dark　brown。
  By　the　next　year　he　had　obtained　flowers　of　a　perfect
  nut…brown；　and　Boxtel　espied　them　in　the　border；　whereas　he
  had　himself　as　yet　only　succeeded　in　producing　the　light
  brown。
  It　might　perhaps　be　interesting　to　explain　to　the　gentle
  reader　the　beautiful　chain　of　theories　which　go　to　prove
  that　the　tulip　borrows　its　colors　from　the　elements；　perhaps
  we　should　give　him　pleasure　if　we　were　to　maintain　and
  establish　that　nothing　is　impossible　for　a　florist　who
  avails　himself　with　judgment　and　discretion　and　patience　of
  the　sun's　heat；　the　clear　water；　the　juices　of　the　earth；
  and　the　cool　breezes。　But　this　is　not　a　treatise　upon　tulips
  in　general；　it　is　the　story　of　one　particular　tulip　which　we
  have　undertaken　to　write；　and　to　that　we　limit　ourselves；
  however　alluring　the　subject　which　is　so　closely　allied　to
  ours。
  Boxtel；　once　more　worsted　by　the　superiority　of　his　hated
  rival；　was　now　completely　disgusted　with　tulip…growing；　and；
  being　driven　half　mad；　devoted　himself　entirely　to
  observation。
  The　house　of　his　rival　was　quite　open　to　view；　a　garden
  exposed　to　the　sun；　cabinets　with　glass　walls；　shelves；
  cupboards；　boxes；　and　ticketed　pigeon…holes；　which　could
  easily　be　surveyed　by　the　telescope。　Boxtel　allowed　his
  bulbs　to　rot　in　the　pits；　his　seedlings　to　dry　up　in　their
  cases；　and　his　tulips　to　wither　in　the　borders　and
  henceforward　occupied　himself　with　nothing　else　but　the
  doings　at　Van　Baerle's。　He　breathed　through　the　stalks　of
  Van　Baerle's　tulips；　quenched　his　thirst　with　the　water　he
  sprinkled　upon　them；　and　feasted　on　the　fine　soft　earth
  which　his　neighbour　scattered　upon　his　cherished　bulbs。
  But　the　most　curious　part　of　the　operations　was　not
  performed　in　the　garden。
  It　might　be　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　Van　Baerle　went
  up　to　his　laboratory；　into　the　glazed　cabinet　whither
  Boxtel's　telescope　had　such　an　easy　access；　and　here；　as
  soon　as　the　lamp　illuminated　the　walls　and　windows；　Boxtel
  saw　the　inventive　genius　of　his　rival　at　work。
  He　beheld　him　sifting　his　seeds；　and　soaking　them　in　liquids
  which　were　destined　to　modify　or　to　deepen　their　colours。　He
  knew　what　Cornelius　meant　when　heating　certain　grains；　then
  moistening　them；　then　combining　them　with　others　by　a　sort
  of　grafting；　　a　minute　and　marvellously　delicate
  manipulation；　　and　when　he　shut　up　in　darkness　those　which
  were　expected　to　furnish　the　black　colour；　exposed　to　the
  sun　or　to　the　lamp　those　which　were　to　produce　red；　and
  placed　between　the　endless　reflections　of　two　water…mirrors
  those　intended　for　white；　the　pure　representation　of　the
  limpid　element。
  This　innocent　magic；　the　fruit　at　the　same　time　of
  child…like　musings　and　of　manly　genius　　this　patient
  untiring　labour；　of　which　Boxtel　knew　himself　to　be
  incapable　　made　him；　gnawed　as　he　was　with　envy；　centre
  all　his　life；　all　his　thoughts；　and　all　his　hopes　in　his
  telescope。
  For；　strange　to　say；　the　love　and　interest　of　horticulture
  had　not　deadened　in　Isaac　his　fierce　envy　and　thirst　of
  revenge。　Sometimes；　whilst　covering　Van　Baerle　with　his
  telescope；　he　deluded　himself　into　a　belief　that　he　was
  levelling　a　never…failing　musket　at　him；　and　then　he　would
  seek　with　his　finger　for　the　trigger　to　fire　the　shot　which
  was　to　have　killed　his　neighbour。　But　it　is　time　that　we
  should　connect　with　this　epoch　of　the　operations　of　the　one；
  and　the　espionage　of　the　other；　the　visit　which　Cornelius　de
  Witt　came　to　pay　to　his　native　town。
  Chapter　7
  The　Happy　Man　makes　Acquaintance　with　Misfortune
  Cornelius　de　Witt；　after　having　attended　to　his　family
  affairs；　reached　the　house　of　his　godson；　Cornelius　van
  Baerle；　one　evening　in　the　month　of　January；　1672。
  De　Witt；　although　being　very　little　of　a　horticulturist　or
  of　an　artist；　went　over　the　whole　mansion；　from　the　studio
  to　the　green…house；　inspecting　everything；　from　the　pictures
  down　to　the　tulips。　He　thanked　his　godson　for　having　joined
  him　on　the　deck　of　the　admiral's　ship　〃The　Seven　Provinces；〃
  during　the　battle　of　Southwold　Bay；　and　for　having　given　his
  name　to　a　magnificent　tulip；　and　whilst　he　thus；　with　the
  kindness　and　affability　of　a　father　to　a　son；　visited　Van
  Baerle's　treasures；　the　crowd　gathered　with　curiosity；　and
  even　respect；　before　the　door　of　the　happy　man。
  All　this　hubbub　excited　the　attention　of　Boxtel；　who　was
  just　taking　his　meal　by　his　fireside。　He　inquired　what　it
  meant；　and；　on　being　informed　of　the　cause　of　all　this　stir；
  climbed　up　to　his　post　of　observation；　where　in　spite　of　the
  cold；　he　took　his　stand；　with　the　telescope　to　his　eye。
  This　telescope　had　not　been　of　great　service　to　him　since
  the　autumn　of　1671。　The　tulips；　like　true　daughters　of　the
  East；　averse　to　cold；　do　not　abide　in　the　open　ground　in
  winter。　They　need　the　shelter　of　the　house；　the　soft　bed　on
  the　shelves；　and　the　congenial　warmth　of　the　stove。　Van
  Baerle；　therefore；　passed　the　whole　winter　in　his
  laboratory；　in　the　midst　of　his　books　and　pictures。　He　went
  only　rarely　to　the　room　where　he　kept　his　bulbs；　unless　it
  were　to　allow　some　occasional　rays　of　the　sun　to　enter；　by
  opening　one　of　the　movable　sashes　of　the　glass　front。
  On　the　evening　of　which　we　are　speaking；　after　the　two
  Corneliuses　had　visited　together　all　the　apartments　of　the
  house；　whilst　a　train　of　domestics　followed　their　steps；　De
  Witt　said　in　a　low　voice　to　Van　Baerle；
  〃My　dear　son；　send　these　people　away；　and　let　us　be　alone
  for　some　minutes。〃
  The　younger　Cornelius；　bowing　assent；　said　aloud；
  〃Would　you　now；　sir；　please　to　see　my　dry…room？〃
  The　dry…room；　this　pantheon；　this　sanctum　sanctorum　of　the
  tulip…fancier；　was；　as　Delphi　of　old；　interdicted　to　the
  profane　uninitiated。
  Never　had　any　of　his　servants　been　bold　enough　to　set　his
  foot　there。　Cornelius　admitted　only　the　inoffensive　broom　of
  an　old　Frisian　housekeeper；　who　had　been　his　nurse；　and　who
  from　the　time　when　he　had　devoted　himself　to　the　culture　of
  tulips　ventured　no　longer　to　put　onions　in　his　stews；　for
  fear　of　pulling　to　pieces　and　mincing　the　idol　of　her　foster
  child。
  At　the　mere　mention　of　the　dry…room；　therefore；　the　servants
  who　were　carrying　the　lights　respectfully　fell　back。
  Cornelius；　taking　the　candlestick　from　the　hands　of　the
  foremost；　conducted　his　godfather　into　that　room；　which　was
  no　other　than　that　very　cabinet　with　a　glass　front　into
  which　Boxtel　was　continually　prying　with　his　telescope。
  The　envious　spy　was　watching　more　intently　than　ever。
  First　of　all　he　saw　the　walls　and　windows　lit　up。
  Then　two　dark　figures　appeared。
  One　of　them；　tall；　majestic；　stern；　sat　down　near　the　table
  on　which　Van　Baerle　had　placed　the　taper。
  In　this　figure；　Boxtel　recognised　the　pale　features　of
  Cornelius　de　Witt；　whose　long　hair；　parted　in　front；　fell
  over　his　shoulders。
  De　Witt；　after　having　said　some　few　words　to　Cornelius；　the
  meaning　of　which　the　prying　neighbour　could　not　read　in　the
  movement　of　his　lips；　took　from　his　breast　pocket　a　white
  parcel；　carefully　sealed；　which　Boxtel；　judging　from　the
  manner　in　which　Cornelius　received　it；　and　placed　it　in　one
  of　the　presses；　supposed　to　contain　papers　of　the　greatest
  importance。
  His　first　thought　was　that　this　precious　deposit　enclosed
  some　newly　imported　bulbs　from　Bengal　or　Ceylon；　but　he　soon
  reflected　that　Cornelius　de　Witt　was　very　little　addicted　to
  tulip…growing；　and　that　he　only　occupied　himself　with　the
  affairs　of　man；　a　pursuit　by　far　less　peaceful　and　agreeable
  than　that　of　the　florist。　He　therefore　came　to　the
  conclusion　that　the　parcel　contained　simply　some　papers；　and
  that　these　papers　were　relating　to　politics。
  But　why　should　papers　of　political　import　be　intrusted　to
  Van　Baerle；　who　not　only　was；　but　also　boasted　of　being；　an
  entire　stranger　to　the　science　of　government；　which；　in　his
  opinion；　was　more　occult　than　alchemy　itself？
  It　was　undoubtedly　a　deposit　which　Cornelius　de　Witt；
  already　threatened　by　the　unpopularity　with　which　his
  countrymen　were　going　to　honour　him；　was　placing　in　the
  hands　of　his　godson；　a　contrivance　so　much　the　more　cleverly
  devised；　as　it　certainly　was　not　at　all　likely　that　it
  should　be　searched　for　at　the　house　of　one　who　had　always
  stood　aloof　from　every　sort　of　intrigue。
  And；　besides；　if　the　parcel　had　been　made　up　of　bulbs；
  Boxtel　knew　his　neighbour　too　well　not　to　expect　that　Van
  Baerle　would　not　have　lost　one　moment　in　satisfying　his
  curiosity　and　feasting　his　eyes　on　the　present　which　he　had
  received。
  But；　on　the　contrary；　Cornelius　had　received　the　parcel　from
  the　hands　of　his　godfather　with　every　mark　of　respect；　and
  put　it　by　with　the　same　respectful　manner　in　a　drawer；
  stowing　it　away　so　that　it　should　not　take　up　too　much　of
  the　room　which　was　reserved　to　his　bulbs。
  The　parcel　thus　being　secreted；　Cornelius　de　Witt　got　up；
  pressed　the　hand　of　his　godson；　and　turned　towards　the　door；
  Van　Baerle　seizing　the　candlestick；　and　lighting　him　on　his
  way　down　to　the　street；　which　was　still　crowded　with　people
  who　wished　to　s