produce；　in　the　next　May；　the　Grand　Black　Tulip　for　which　a
  prize　of　a　hundred　thousand　guilders　has　been　offered　by　the
  Haarlem　Society；　requesting　that　she　may　be　paid　the　same
  sum　in　my　stead；　as　my　sole　heiress；　under　the　only
  condition　of　her　marrying　a　respectable　young　man　of　about
  my　age；　who　loves　her；　and　whom　she　loves；　and　of　her　giving
  the　black　tulip；　which　will　constitute　a　new　species；　the
  name　of　Rosa　Barlaensis；　that　is　to　say；　hers　and　mine
  combined。
  〃So　may　God　grant　me　mercy；　and　to　her　health　and　long　life！
  〃Cornelius　van　Baerle。〃
  The　prisoner　then；　giving　the　Bible　to　Rosa；　said；
  〃Read。〃
  〃Alas！〃　she　answered；　〃I　have　already　told　you　I　cannot
  read。〃
  Cornelius　then　read　to　Rosa　the　testament　that　he　had　just
  made。
  The　agony　of　the　poor　girl　almost　overpowered　her。
  〃Do　you　accept　my　conditions？〃　asked　the　prisoner；　with　a
  melancholy　smile；　kissing　the　trembling　hands　of　the
  afflicted　girl。
  〃Oh；　I　don't　know；　sir；〃　she　stammered。
  〃You　don't　know；　child；　and　why　not？〃
  〃Because　there　is　one　condition　which　I　am　afraid　I　cannot
  keep。〃
  〃Which？　I　should　have　thought　that　all　was　settled　between
  us。〃
  〃You　give　me　the　hundred　thousand　guilders　as　a　marriage
  portion；　don't　you？
  〃And　under　the　condition　of　my　marrying　a　man　whom　I　love？〃
  〃Certainly。〃
  〃Well；　then；　sir；　this　money　cannot　belong　to　me。　I　shall
  never　love　any　one；　neither　shall　I　marry。〃
  And；　after　having　with　difficulty　uttered　these　words；　Rosa
  almost　swooned　away　in　the　violence　of　her　grief。
  Cornelius；　frightened　at　seeing　her　so　pale　and　sinking；　was
  going　to　take　her　in　his　arms；　when　a　heavy　step；　followed
  by　other　dismal　sounds；　was　heard　on　the　staircase；　amidst
  the　continued　barking　of　the　dog。
  〃They　are　coming　to　fetch　you。　Oh　God！　Oh　God！〃　cried　Rosa；
  wringing　her　hands。　〃And　have　you　nothing　more　to　tell　me？〃
  She　fell　on　her　knees　with　her　face　buried　in　her　hands　and
  became　almost　senseless。
  〃I　have　only　to　say；　that　I　wish　you　to　preserve　these　bulbs
  as　a　most　precious　treasure；　and　carefully　to　treat　them
  according　to　the　directions　I　have　given　you。　Do　it　for　my
  sake；　and　now　farewell；　Rosa。〃
  〃Yes；　yes；〃　she　said；　without　raising　her　head；　〃I　will　do
  anything　you　bid　me；　except　marrying；〃　she　added；　in　a　low
  voice；　〃for　that；　oh！　that　is　impossible　for　me。〃
  She　then　put　the　cherished　treasure　next　her　beating　heart。
  The　noise　on　the　staircase　which　Cornelius　and　Rosa　had
  heard　was　caused　by　the　Recorder；　who　was　coming　for　the
  prisoner。　He　was　followed　by　the　executioner；　by　the
  soldiers　who　were　to　form　the　guard　round　the　scaffold；　and
  by　some　curious　hangers…on　of　the　prison。
  Cornelius；　without　showing　any　weakness；　but　likewise
  without　any　bravado；　received　them　rather　as　friends　than　as
  persecutors；　and　quietly　submitted　to　all　those　preparations
  which　these　men　were　obliged　to　make　in　performance　of　their
  duty。
  Then；　casting　a　glance　into　the　yard　through　the　narrow
  iron…barred　window　of　his　cell；　he　perceived　the　scaffold；
  and；　at　twenty　paces　distant　from　it；　the　gibbet；　from
  which；　by　order　of　the　Stadtholder；　the　outraged　remains　of
  the　two　brothers　De　Witt　had　been　taken　down。
  When　the　moment　came　to　descend　in　order　to　follow　the
  guards；　Cornelius　sought　with　his　eyes　the　angelic　look　of
  Rosa；　but　he　saw；　behind　the　swords　and　halberds；　only　a
  form　lying　outstretched　near　a　wooden　bench；　and　a　deathlike
  face　half　covered　with　long　golden　locks。
  But　Rosa；　whilst　falling　down　senseless；　still　obeying　her
  friend；　had　pressed　her　hand　on　her　velvet　bodice　and；
  forgetting　everything　in　the　world　besides；　instinctively
  grasped　the　precious　deposit　which　Cornelius　had　intrusted
  to　her　care。
  Leaving　the　cell；　the　young　man　could　still　see　in　the
  convulsively　clinched　fingers　of　Rosa　the　yellowish　leaf
  from　that　Bible　on　which　Cornelius　de　Witt　had　with　such
  difficulty　and　pain　written　these　few　lines；　which；　if　Van
  Baerle　had　read　them；　would　undoubtedly　have　been　the　saving
  of　a　man　and　a　tulip。
  Chapter　12
  The　Execution
  Cornelius　had　not　three　hundred　paces　to　walk　outside　the
  prison　to　reach　the　foot　of　the　scaffold。　At　the　bottom　of
  the　staircase；　the　dog　quietly　looked　at　him　whilst　he　was
  passing；　Cornelius　even　fancied　he　saw　in　the　eyes　of　the
  monster　a　certain　expression　as　it　were　of　compassion。
  The　dog　perhaps　knew　the　condemned　prisoners；　and　only　bit
  those　who　left　as　free　men。
  The　shorter　the　way　from　the　door　of　the　prison　to　the　foot
  of　the　scaffold；　the　more　fully；　of　course；　it　was　crowded
  with　curious　people。
  These　were　the　same　who；　not　satisfied　with　the　blood　which
  they　had　shed　three　days　before；　were　now　craving　for　a　new
  victim。
  And　scarcely　had　Cornelius　made　his　appearance　than　a　fierce
  groan　ran　through　the　whole　street；　spreading　all　over　the
  yard；　and　re…echoing　from　the　streets　which　led　to　the
  scaffold；　and　which　were　likewise　crowded　with　spectators。
  The　scaffold　indeed　looked　like　an　islet　at　the　confluence
  of　several　rivers。
  In　the　midst　of　these　threats；　groans；　and　yells；　Cornelius；
  very　likely　in　order　not　to　hear　them；　had　buried　himself　in
  his　own　thoughts。
  And　what　did　he　think　of　in　his　last　melancholy　journey？
  Neither　of　his　enemies；　nor　of　his　judges；　nor　of　his
  executioners。
  He　thought　of　the　beautiful　tulips　which　he　would　see　from
  heaven　above；　at　Ceylon；　or　Bengal；　or　elsewhere；　when　he
  would　be　able　to　look　with　pity　on　this　earth；　where　John
  and　Cornelius　de　Witt　had　been　murdered　for　having　thought
  too　much　of　politics；　and　where　Cornelius　van　Baerle　was
  about　to　be　murdered　for　having　thought　too　much　of　tulips。
  〃It　is　only　one　stroke　of　the　axe；〃　said　the　philosopher　to
  himself；　〃and　my　beautiful　dream　will　begin　to　be　realised。〃
  Only　there　was　still　a　chance；　just　as　it　had　happened
  before　to　M。　de　Chalais；　to　M。　de　Thou；　and　other　slovenly
  executed　people；　that　the　headsman　might　inflict　more　than
  one　stroke；　that　is　to　say；　more　than　one　martyrdom；　on　the
  poor　tulip…fancier。
  Yet；　notwithstanding　all　this；　Van　Baerle　mounted　the
  scaffold　not　the　less　resolutely；　proud　of　having　been　the
  friend　of　that　illustrious　John；　and　godson　of　that　noble
  Cornelius　de　Witt；　whom　the　ruffians；　who　were　now　crowding
  to　witness　his　own　doom；　had　torn　to　pieces　and　burnt　three
  days　before。
  He　knelt　down；　said　his　prayers；　and　observed；　not　without　a
  feeling　of　sincere　joy；　that；　laying　his　head　on　the　block；
  and　keeping　his　eyes　open；　he　would　be　able　to　his　last
  moment　to　see　the　grated　window　of　the　Buytenhof。
  At　length　the　fatal　moment　arrived；　and　Cornelius　placed　his
  chin　on　the　cold　damp　block。　But　at　this　moment　his　eyes
  closed　involuntarily；　to　receive　more　resolutely　the
  terrible　avalanche　which　was　about　to　fall　on　his　head；　and
  to　engulf　his　life。
  A　gleam　like　that　of　lightning　passed　across　the　scaffold：
  it　was　the　executioner　raising　his　sword。
  Van　Baerle　bade　farewell　to　the　great　black　tulip；　certain
  of　awaking　in　another　world　full　of　light　and　glorious
  tints。
  Three　times　he　felt；　with　a　shudder；　the　cold　current　of　air
  from　the　knife　near　his　neck；　but　what　a　surprise！　he　felt
  neither　pain　nor　shock。
  He　saw　no　change　in　the　colour　of　the　sky；　or　of　the　world
  around　him。
  Then　suddenly　Van　Baerle　felt　gentle　hands　raising　him；　and
  soon　stood　on　his　feet　again；　although　trembling　a　little。
  He　looked　around　him。　There　was　some　one　by　his　side；
  reading　a　large　parchment；　sealed　with　a　huge　seal　of　red
  wax。
  And　the　same　sun；　yellow　and　pale；　as　it　behooves　a　Dutch
  sun　to　be；　was　shining　in　the　skies；　and　the　same　grated
  window　looked　down　upon　him　from　the　Buytenhof；　and　the　same
  rabble；　no　longer　yelling；　but　completely　thunderstruck；
  were　staring　at　him　from　the　streets　below。
  Van　Baerle　began　to　be　sensible　to　what　was　going　on　around
  him。
  His　Highness；　William；　Prince　of　Orange；　very　likely　afraid
  that　Van　Baerle's　blood　would　turn　the　scale　of　judgment
  against　him；　had　compassionately　taken　into　consideration
  his　good　character；　and　the　apparent　proofs　of　his
  innocence。
  His　Highness；　accordingly；　had　granted　him　his　life。
  Cornelius　at　first　hoped　that　the　pardon　would　be　complete；
  and　that　he　would　be　restored　to　his　full　liberty　and　to　his
  flower　borders　at　Dort。
  But　Cornelius　was　mistaken。　To　use　an　expression　of　Madame
  de　Sevigne；　who　wrote　about　the　same　time；　〃there　was　a
  postscript　to　the　letter；〃　and　the　most　important　part　of
  the　letter　was　contained　in　the　postscript。
  In　this　postscript；　William　of　Orange；　Stadtholder　of
  Holland；　condemned　Cornelius　van　Baerle　to　imprisonment　for
  life。　He　was　not　sufficiently　guilty　to　suffer　death；　but　he
  was　too　much　so　to　be　set　at　liberty。
  Cornelius　heard　this　clause；　but；　the　first　feeling　of
  vexation　and　disappointment　over；　he　said　to　himself；
  〃Never　mind；　all　this　is　not　lost　yet；　there　is　some　good　in
  this　perpetual　imprisonment；　Rosa　will　be　there；　and　also　my