he　had　intrusted　to　her。
  〃Oh；　you　have　preserved　them；　then？〃
  〃Did　you　not　give　them　to　me　as　a　thing　which　was　dear　to
  you？〃
  〃Yes；　but　as　I　have　given　them　to　you；　it　seems　to　me　that
  they　belong　to　you。〃
  〃They　would　have　belonged　to　me　after　your　death；　but；
  fortunately；　you　are　alive　now。　Oh　how　I　blessed　his
  Highness　in　my　heart！　If　God　grants　to　him　all　the　happiness
  that　I　have　wished　him；　certainly　Prince　William　will　be　the
  happiest　man　on　earth。　When　I　looked　at　the　Bible　of　your
  godfather　Cornelius；　I　was　resolved　to　bring　back　to　you
  your　bulbs；　only　I　did　not　know　how　to　accomplish　it。　I　had；
  however；　already　formed　the　plan　of　going　to　the
  Stadtholder；　to　ask　from　him　for　my　father　the　appointment
  of　jailer　of　Loewestein；　when　your　housekeeper　brought　me
  your　letter。　Oh；　how　we　wept　together！　But　your　letter　only
  confirmed　me　the　more　in　my　resolution。　I　then　left　for
  Leyden；　and　the　rest　you　know。〃
  〃What；　my　dear　Rosa；　you　thought；　even　before　receiving　my
  letter；　of　coming　to　meet　me　again？〃
  〃If　I　thought　of　it；〃　said　Rosa；　allowing　her　love　to　get
  the　better　of　her　bashfulness；　〃I　thought　of　nothing　else。〃
  And；　saying　these　words；　Rosa　looked　so　exceedingly　pretty；
  that　for　the　second　time　Cornelius　placed　his　forehead　and
  lips　against　the　wire　grating；　of　course；　we　must　presume
  with　the　laudable　desire　to　thank　the　young　lady。
  Rosa；　however；　drew　back　as　before。
  〃In　truth；〃　she　said；　with　that　coquetry　which　somehow　or
  other　is　in　the　heart　of　every　young　girl；　〃I　have　often
  been　sorry　that　I　am　not　able　to　read；　but　never　so　much　so
  as　when　your　housekeeper　brought　me　your　letter。　I　kept　the
  paper　in　my　hands；　which　spoke　to　other　people；　and　which
  was　dumb　to　poor　stupid　me。〃
  〃So　you　have　often　regretted　not　being　able　to　read；〃　said
  Cornelius。　〃I　should　just　like　to　know　on　what　occasions。〃
  〃Troth；〃　she　said；　laughing；　〃to　read　all　the　letters　which
  were　written　to　me。〃
  〃Oh；　you　received　letters；　Rosa？〃
  〃By　hundreds。〃
  〃But　who　wrote　to　you？〃
  〃Who！　why；　in　the　first　place；　all　the　students　who　passed
  over　the　Buytenhof；　all　the　officers　who　went　to　parade；　all
  the　clerks；　and　even　the　merchants　who　saw　me　at　my　little
  window。〃
  〃And　what　did　you　do　with　all　these　notes；　my　dear　Rosa？〃
  〃Formerly；〃　she　answered；　〃I　got　some　friend　to　read　them　to
  me；　which　was　capital　fun；　but　since　a　certain　time　　well；
  what　use　is　it　to　attend　to　all　this　nonsense？　　since　a
  certain　time　I　have　burnt　them。〃
  〃Since　a　certain　time！〃　exclaimed　Cornelius；　with　a　look
  beaming　with　love　and　joy。
  Rosa　cast　down　her　eyes；　blushing。　In　her　sweet　confusion；
  she　did　not　observe　the　lips　of　Cornelius；　which；　alas！　only
  met　the　cold　wire…grating。　Yet；　in　spite　of　this　obstacle；
  they　communicated　to　the　lips　of　the　young　girl　the　glowing
  breath　of　the　most　tender　kiss。
  At　this　sudden　outburst　of　tenderness；　Rosa　grew　very　pale；
  perhaps　paler　than　she　had　been　on　the　day　of　the
  execution。　She　uttered　a　plaintive　sob；　closed　her　fine
  eyes；　and　fled；　trying　in　vain　to　still　the　beating　of　her
  heart。
  And　thus　Cornelius　was　again　alone。
  Rosa　had　fled　so　precipitately；　that　she　completely　forgot
  to　return　to　Cornelius　the　three　bulbs　of　the　Black　Tulip。
  Chapter　16
  Master　and　Pupil
  The　worthy　Master　Gryphus；　as　the　reader　may　have　seen；　was
  far　from　sharing　the　kindly　feeling　of　his　daughter　for　the
  godson　of　Cornelius　de　Witt。
  There　being　only　five　prisoners　at　Loewestein；　the　post　of
  turnkey　was　not　a　very　onerous　one；　but　rather　a　sort　of
  sinecure；　given　after　a　long　period　of　service。
  But　the　worthy　jailer；　in　his　zeal；　had　magnified　with　all
  the　power　of　his　imagination　the　importance　of　his　office。
  To　him　Cornelius　had　swelled　to　the　gigantic　proportions　of
  a　criminal　of　the　first　order。　He　looked　upon　him；
  therefore；　as　the　most　dangerous　of　all　his　prisoners。　He
  watched　all　his　steps；　and　always　spoke　to　him　with　an　angry
  countenance；　punishing　him　for　what　he　called　his　dreadful
  rebellion　against　such　a　clement　prince　as　the　Stadtholder。
  Three　times　a　day　he　entered　Van　Baerle's　cell；　expecting　to
  find　him　trespassing；　but　Cornelius　had　ceased　to
  correspond；　since　his　correspondent　was　at　hand。　It　is　even
  probable　that；　if　Cornelius　had　obtained　his　full　liberty；
  with　permission　to　go　wherever　he　liked；　the　prison；　with
  Rosa　and　his　bulbs；　would　have　appeared　to　him　preferable　to
  any　other　habitation　in　the　world　without　Rosa　and　his
  bulbs。
  Rosa；　in　fact；　had　promised　to　come　and　see　him　every
  evening；　and　from　the　first　evening　she　had　kept　her　word。
  On　the　following　evening　she　went　up　as　before；　with　the
  same　mysteriousness　and　the　same　precaution。　Only　she　had
  this　time　resolved　within　herself　not　to　approach　too　near
  the　grating。　In　order；　however；　to　engage　Van　Baerle　in　a
  conversation　from　the　very　first　which　would　seriously
  occupy　his　attention；　she　tendered　to　him　through　the
  grating　the　three　bulbs；　which　were　still　wrapped　up　in　the
  same　paper。
  But　to　the　great　astonishment　of　Rosa；　Van　Baerle　pushed
  back　her　white　hand　with　the　tips　of　his　fingers。
  The　young　man　had　been　considering　about　the　matter。
  〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　we　should　risk　too　much　by
  embarking　our　whole　fortune　in　one　ship。　Only　think；　my　dear
  Rosa；　that　the　question　is　to　carry　out　an　enterprise　which
  until　now　has　been　considered　impossible；　namely；　that　of
  making　the　great　black　tulip　flower。　Let　us；　therefore；　take
  every　possible　precaution；　so　that　in　case　of　a　failure　we
  may　not　have　anything　to　reproach　ourselves　with。　I　will　now
  tell　you　the　way　I　have　traced　out　for　us。〃
  Rosa　was　all　attention　to　what　he　would　say；　much　more　on
  account　of　the　importance　which　the　unfortunate
  tulip…fancier　attached　to　it；　than　that　she　felt　interested
  in　the　matter　herself。
  〃I　will　explain　to　you；　Rosa；〃　he　said。　〃I　dare　say　you　have
  in　this　fortress　a　small　garden；　or　some　courtyard；　or；　if
  not　that；　at　least　some　terrace。〃
  〃We　have　a　very　fine　garden；〃　said　Rosa；　〃it　runs　along　the
  edge　of　the　Waal；　and　is　full　of　fine　old　trees。〃
  〃Could　you　bring　me　some　soil　from　the　garden；　that　I　may
  judge？〃
  〃I　will　do　so　to…morrow。〃
  〃Take　some　from　a　sunny　spot；　and　some　from　a　shady；　so　that
  I　may　judge　of　its　properties　in　a　dry　and　in　a　moist
  state。〃
  〃Be　assured　I　shall。〃
  〃After　having　chosen　the　soil；　and；　if　it　be　necessary；
  modified　it；　we　will　divide　our　three　bulbs；　you　will　take
  one　and　plant　it；　on　the　day　that　I　will　tell　you；　in　the
  soil　chosen　by　me。　It　is　sure　to　flower；　if　you　tend　it
  according　to　my　directions。〃
  〃I　will　not　lose　sight　of　it　for　a　minute。〃
  〃You　will　give　me　another；　which　I　will　try　to　grow　here　in
  my　cell；　and　which　will　help　me　to　beguile　those　long　weary
  hours　when　I　cannot　see　you。　I　confess　to　you　I　have　very
  little　hope　for　the　latter　one；　and　I　look　beforehand　on
  this　unfortunate　bulb　as　sacrificed　to　my　selfishness。
  However；　the　sun　sometimes　visits　me。　I　will；　besides；　try
  to　convert　everything　into　an　artificial　help；　even　the　heat
  and　the　ashes　of　my　pipe；　and　lastly；　we；　or　rather　you；
  will　keep　in　reserve　the　third　sucker　as　our　last　resource；
  in　case　our　first　two　experiments　should　prove　a　failure。　In
  this　manner；　my　dear　Rosa；　it　is　impossible　that　we　should
  not　succeed　in　gaining　the　hundred　thousand　guilders　for
  your　marriage　portion；　and　how　dearly　shall　we　enjoy　that
  supreme　happiness　of　seeing　our　work　brought　to　a　successful
  issue！〃
  〃I　know　it　all　now；〃　said　Rosa。　〃I　will　bring　you　the　soil
  to…morrow；　and　you　will　choose　it　for　your　bulb　and　for
  mine。　As　to　that　in　which　yours　is　to　grow；　I　shall　have
  several　journeys　to　convey　it　to　you；　as　I　cannot　bring　much
  at　a　time。〃
  〃There　is　no　hurry　for　it；　dear　Rosa；　our　tulips　need　not　be
  put　into　the　ground　for　a　month　at　least。　So　you　see　we　have
  plenty　of　time　before　us。　Only　I　hope　that；　in　planting　your
  bulb；　you　will　strictly　follow　all　my　instructions。〃
  〃I　promise　you　I　will。〃
  〃And　when　you　have　once　planted　it；　you　will　communicate　to
  me　all　the　circumstances　which　may　interest　our　nursling；
  such　as　change　of　weather；　footprints　on　the　walks；　or
  footprints　in　the　borders。　You　will　listen　at　night　whether
  our　garden　is　not　resorted　to　by　cats。　A　couple　of　those
  untoward　animals　laid　waste　two　of　my　borders　at　Dort。〃
  〃I　will　listen。〃
  〃On　moonlight　nights　have　you　ever　looked　at　your　garden；　my
  dear　child？〃
  〃The　window　of　my　sleeping…room　overlooks　it。〃
  〃Well；　on　moonlight　nights　you　will　observe　whether　any　rats
  come　out　from　the　holes　in　the　wall。　The　rats　are　most
  mischievous　by　their　gnawing　everything；　and　I　have　heard
  unfortunate　tulip…growers　complain　most　bitterly　of　Noah　for
  having　put　a　couple　of　rats　in　the　ark。〃
  〃I　will　observe；　and　if　there　are　cats　or　rats　　〃
  〃You　will　apprise　me　of　it；　　that's　right。　And；　moreover；〃
  Van　Baerle；　having　become　mistrustful　in　his　captivity；
  continued；　〃there　is　an　animal　much　m