Van　Baerle　seizing　the　candlestick；　and　lighting　him　on　his
  way　down　to　the　street；　which　was　still　crowded　with　people
  who　wished　to　see　their　great　fellow　citizen　getting　into
  his　coach。
  Boxtel　had　not　been　mistaken　in　his　supposition。　The　deposit
  intrusted　to　Van　Baerle；　and　carefully　locked　up　by　him；　was
  nothing　more　nor　less　than　John　de　Witt's　correspondence
  with　the　Marquis　de　Louvois；　the　war　minister　of　the　King　of
  France；　only　the　godfather　forbore　giving　to　his　godson　the
  least　intimation　concerning　the　political　importance　of　the
  secret；　merely　desiring　him　not　to　deliver　the　parcel　to　any
  one　but　to　himself；　or　to　whomsoever　he　should　send　to　claim
  it　in　his　name。
  And　Van　Baerle；　as　we　have　seen；　locked　it　up　with　his　most
  precious　bulbs；　to　think　no　more　of　it；　after　his　godfather
  had　left　him；　very　unlike　Boxtel；　who　looked　upon　this
  parcel　as　a　clever　pilot　does　on　the　distant　and　scarcely
  perceptible　cloud　which　is　increasing　on　its　way　and　which
  is　fraught　with　a　storm。
  Little　dreaming　of　the　jealous　hatred　of　his　neighbour；　Van
  Baerle　had　proceeded　step　by　step　towards　gaining　the　prize
  offered　by　the　Horticultural　Society　of　Haarlem。　He　had
  progressed　from　hazel…nut　shade　to　that　of　roasted　coffee；
  and　on　the　very　day　when　the　frightful　events　took　place　at
  the　Hague　which　we　have　related　in　the　preceding　chapters；
  we　find　him；　about　one　o'clock　in　the　day；　gathering　from
  the　border　the　young　suckers　raised　from　tulips　of　the
  colour　of　roasted　coffee；　and　which；　being　expected　to
  flower　for　the　first　time　in　the　spring　of　1675；　would
  undoubtedly　produce　the　large　black　tulip　required　by　the
  Haarlem　Society。
  On　the　20th　of　August；　1672；　at　one　o'clock；　Cornelius　was
  therefore　in　his　dry…room；　with　his　feet　resting　on　the
  foot…bar　of　the　table；　and　his　elbows　on　the　cover；　looking
  with　intense　delight　on　three　suckers　which　he　had　just
  detached　from　the　mother　bulb；　pure；　perfect；　and　entire；
  and　from　which　was　to　grow　that　wonderful　produce　of
  horticulture　which　would　render　the　name　of　Cornelius　van
  Baerle　for　ever　illustrious。
  〃I　shall　find　the　black　tulip；〃　said　Cornelius　to　himself；
  whilst　detaching　the　suckers。　〃I　shall　obtain　the　hundred
  thousand　guilders　offered　by　the　Society。　I　shall　distribute
  them　among　the　poor　of　Dort；　and　thus　the　hatred　which　every
  rich　man　has　to　encounter　in　times　of　civil　wars　will　be
  soothed　down；　and　I　shall　be　able；　without　fearing　any　harm
  either　from　Republicans　or　Orangists；　to　keep　as　heretofore
  my　borders　in　splendid　condition。　I　need　no　more　be　afraid
  lest　on　the　day　of　a　riot　the　shopkeepers　of　the　town　and
  the　sailors　of　the　port　should　come　and　tear　out　my　bulbs；
  to　boil　them　as　onions　for　their　families；　as　they　have
  sometimes　quietly　threatened　when　they　happened　to　remember
  my　having　paid　two　or　three　hundred　guilders　for　one　bulb。
  It　is　therefore　settled　I　shall　give　the　hundred　thousand
  guilders　of　the　Haarlem　prize　to…the　poor。　And　yet　　〃
  Here　Cornelius　stopped　and　heaved　a　sigh。　〃And　yet；〃　he
  continued；　〃it　would　have　been　so　very　delightful　to　spend
  the　hundred　thousand　guilders　on　the　enlargement　of　my
  tulip…bed　or　even　on　a　journey　to　the　East；　the　country　of
  beautiful　flowers。　But；　alas！　these　are　no　thoughts　for　the
  present　times；　when　muskets；　standards；　proclamations；　and
  beating　of　drums　are　the　order　of　the　day。〃
  Van　Baerle　raised　his　eyes　to　heaven　and　sighed　again。　Then
  turning　his　glance　towards　his　bulbs；　　objects　of　much
  greater　importance　to　him　than　all　those　muskets；　standards；
  drums；　and　proclamations；　which　he　conceived　only　to　be　fit
  to　disturb　the　minds　of　honest　people；　　he　said：
  〃These　are；　indeed；　beautiful　bulbs；　how　smooth　they　are；
  how　well　formed；　there　is　that　air　of　melancholy　about　them
  which　promises　to　produce　a　flower　of　the　colour　of　ebony。
  On　their　skin　you　cannot　even　distinguish　the　circulating
  veins　with　the　naked　eye。　Certainly；　certainly；　not　a　light
  spot　will　disfigure　the　tulip　which　I　have　called　into
  existence。　And　by　what　name　shall　we　call　this　offspring　of
  my　sleepless　nights；　of　my　labour　and　my　thought？　Tulipa
  nigra　Barlaensis？
  〃Yes　Barlaensis：　a　fine　name。　All　the　tulip…fanciers　　that
  is　to　say；　all　the　intelligent　people　of　Europe　　will　feel
  a　thrill　of　excitement　when　the　rumour　spreads　to　the　four
  quarters　of　the　globe：　The　grand　black　tulip　is　found！　'How
  is　it　called？'　the　fanciers　will　ask。　　'Tulipa　nigra
  Barlaensis！'　　'Why　Barlaensis？'　　'After　its　grower；　Van
  Baerle；'　will　be　the　answer。　　'And　who　is　this　Van
  Baerle？'　　'It　is　the　same　who　has　already　produced　five
  new　tulips：　the　Jane；　the　John　de　Witt；　the　Cornelius　de
  Witt；　etc。'　Well；　that　is　what　I　call　my　ambition。　It　will
  cause　tears　to　no　one。　And　people　will　talk　of　my　Tulipa
  nigra　Barlaensis　when　perhaps　my　godfather；　this　sublime
  politician；　is　only　known　from　the　tulip　to　which　I　have
  given　his　name。
  〃Oh！　these　darling　bulbs！
  〃When　my　tulip　has　flowered；〃　Baerle　continued　in　his
  soliloquy；　〃and　when　tranquillity　is　restored　in　Holland；　I
  shall　give　to　the　poor　only　fifty　thousand　guilders；　which；
  after　all；　is　a　goodly　sum　for　a　man　who　is　under　no
  obligation　whatever。　Then；　with　the　remaining　fifty　thousand
  guilders；　I　shall　make　experiments。　With　them　I　shall
  succeed　in　imparting　scent　to　the　tulip。　Ah！　if　I　succeed　in
  giving　it　the　odour　of　the　rose　or　the　carnation；　or；　what
  would　be　still　better；　a　completely　new　scent；　if　I　restored
  to　this　queen　of　flowers　its　natural　distinctive　perfume；
  which　she　has　lost　in　passing　from　her　Eastern　to　her
  European　throne；　and　which　she　must　have　in　the　Indian
  peninsula　at　Goa；　Bombay；　and　Madras；　and　especially　in　that
  island　which　in　olden　times；　as　is　asserted；　was　the
  terrestrial　paradise；　and　which　is　called　Ceylon；　　oh；
  what　glory！　I　must　say；　I　would　then　rather　be　Cornelius　van
  Baerle　than　Alexander；　Caesar；　or　Maximilian。
  〃Oh　the　admirable　bulbs！〃
  Thus　Cornelius　indulged　in　the　delights　of　contemplation；
  and　was　carried　away　by　the　sweetest　dreams。
  Suddenly　the　bell　of　his　cabinet　was　rung　much　more
  violently　than　usual。
  Cornelius；　startled；　laid　his　hands　on　his　bulbs；　and　turned
  round。
  〃Who　is　here？〃　he　asked。
  〃Sir；〃　answered　the　servant；　〃it　is　a　messenger　from　the
  Hague。〃
  〃A　messenger　from　the　Hague！　What　does　he　want？〃
  〃Sir；　it　is　Craeke。〃
  〃Craeke！　the　confidential　servant　of　Mynheer　John　de　Witt？
  Good；　let　him　wait。〃
  〃I　cannot　wait；〃　said　a　voice　in　the　lobby。
  And　at　the　same　time　forcing　his　way　in；　Craeke　rushed　into
  the　dry…room。
  This　abrupt　entrance　was　such　an　infringement　on　the
  established　rules　of　the　household　of　Cornelius　van　Baerle；
  that　the　latter；　at　the　sight　of　Craeke；　almost　convulsively
  moved　his　hand　which　covered　the　bulbs；　so　that　two　of　them
  fell　on　the　floor；　one　of　them　rolling　under　a　small　table；
  and　the　other　into　the　fireplace。
  〃Zounds！〃　said　Cornelius；　eagerly　picking　up　his　precious
  bulbs；　〃what's　the　matter？〃
  〃The　matter；　sir！〃　said　Craeke；　laying　a　paper　on　the　large
  table；　on　which　the　third　bulb　was　lying；　　〃the　matter　is；
  that　you　are　requested　to　read　this　paper　without　losing　one
  moment。〃
  And　Craeke；　who　thought　he　had　remarked　in　the　streets　of
  Dort　symptoms　of　a　tumult　similar　to　that　which　he　had
  witnessed　before　his　departure　from　the　Hague；　ran　off
  without　even　looking　behind　him。
  〃All　right！　all　right！　my　dear　Craeke；〃　said　Cornelius；
  stretching　his　arm　under　the　table　for　the　bulb；　〃your　paper
  shall　be　read；　indeed　it　shall。〃
  Then；　examining　the　bulb　which　he　held　in　the　hollow　of　his
  hand；　he　said：　〃Well；　here　is　one　of　them　uninjured。　That
  confounded　Craeke！　thus　to　rush　into　my　dry…room；　let　us　now
  look　after　the　other。〃
  And　without　laying　down　the　bulb　which　he　already　held；
  Baerle　went　to　the　fireplace；　knelt　down　and　stirred　with
  the　tip　of　his　finger　the　ashes；　which　fortunately　were
  quite　cold。
  He　at　once　felt　the　other　bulb。
  〃Well；　here　it　is；〃　he　said；　and；　looking　at　it　with　almost
  fatherly　affection；　he　exclaimed；　〃Uninjured　as　the　first！〃
  At　this　very　instant；　and　whilst　Cornelius；　still　on　his
  knees；　was　examining　his　pets；　the　door　of　the　dry…room　was
  so　violently　shaken；　and　opened　in　such　a　brusque　manner；
  that　Cornelius　felt　rising　in　his　cheeks　and　his　ears　the
  glow　of　that　evil　counsellor　which　is　called　wrath。
  〃Now；　what　is　it　again；〃　he　demanded；　〃are　people　going　mad
  here？〃
  〃Oh；　sir！　sir！〃　cried　the　servant；　rushing　into　the　dry…room
  with　a　much　paler　face　and　with　a　much　more　frightened　mien
  than　Craeke　had　shown。
  〃Well！〃　asked　Cornelius；　foreboding　some　mischief　from　the
  double　breach　of　the　strict　rule　of　his　house。
  〃Oh；　sir；　fly！　fly　quick！〃　cried　the　servant。
  〃Fly！　and　what　for？〃
  〃Sir；　the　house　is　full　of　the　guards　of　the　States。〃
  〃What　do　they　want？〃
  〃They　want　you。〃
  〃What　for？〃
  〃To　arrest　you。〃
  〃Arrest　me？　arrest　me；　do　you　say？〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　and　they　are　headed　by　a　magistrate。〃
  〃What's