〃Monseigneur！　Monseigneur！〃　cried　Rosa；　〃Cornelius　is　not
  guilty。〃
  William　started。
  〃Not　guilty　of　having　advised　you？　that's　what　you　want　to
  say；　is　it　not？〃
  〃What　I　wish　to　say；　your　Highness；　is　that　Cornelius　is　as
  little　guilty　of　the　second　crime　imputed　to　him　as　he　was
  of　the　first。〃
  〃Of　the　first？　And　do　you　know　what　was　his　first　crime？　Do
  you　know　of　what　he　was　accused　and　convicted？　Of　having；　as
  an　accomplice　of　Cornelius　de　Witt；　concealed　the
  correspondence　of　the　Grand　Pensionary　and　the　Marquis　de
  Louvois。〃
  〃Well；　sir；　he　was　ignorant　of　this　correspondence　being
  deposited　with　him；　completely　ignorant。　I　am　as　certain　as
  of　my　life；　that；　if　it　were　not　so；　he　would　have　told　me；
  for　how　could　that　pure　mind　have　harboured　a　secret　without
  revealing　it　to　me？　No；　no；　your　Highness；　I　repeat　it；　and
  even　at　the　risk　of　incurring　your　displeasure；　Cornelius　is
  no　more　guilty　of　the　first　crime　than　of　the　second；　and　of
  the　second　no　more　than　of　the　first。　Oh；　would　to　Heaven
  that　you　knew　my　Cornelius；　Monseigneur！〃
  〃He　is　a　De　Witt！〃　cried　Boxtel。　〃His　Highness　knows　only
  too　much　of　him；　having　once　granted　him　his　life。〃
  〃Silence！〃　said　the　Prince；　〃all　these　affairs　of　state；　as
  I　have　already　said；　are　completely　out　of　the　province　of
  the　Horticultural　Society　of　Haarlem。〃
  Then；　knitting　his　brow；　he　added；
  〃As　to　the　tulip；　make　yourself　easy；　Master　Boxtel；　you
  shall　have　justice　done　to　you。〃
  Boxtel　bowed　with　a　heart　full　of　joy；　and　received　the
  congratulations　of　the　President。
  〃You；　my　child；〃　William　of　Orange　continued；　〃you　were
  going　to　commit　a　crime。　I　will　not　punish　you；　but　the　real
  evil…doer　shall　pay　the　penalty　for　both。　A　man　of　his　name
  may　be　a　conspirator；　and　even　a　traitor；　but　he　ought　not
  to　be　a　thief。〃
  〃A　thief！〃　cried　Rosa。　〃Cornelius　a　thief？　Pray；　your
  Highness；　do　not　say　such　a　word；　it　would　kill　him；　if　he
  knew　it。　If　theft　there　has　been；　I　swear　to　you；　Sir；　no
  one　else　but　this　man　has　committed　it。〃
  〃Prove　it；〃　Boxtel　coolly　remarked。
  〃I　shall　prove　it。　With　God's　help　I　shall。〃
  Then；　turning　towards　Boxtel；　she　asked；
  〃The　tulip　is　yours？〃
  〃It　is。〃
  〃How　many　bulbs　were　there　of　it？〃
  Boxtel　hesitated　for　a　moment；　but　after　a　short
  consideration　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　she　would　not
  ask　this　question　if　there　were　none　besides　the　two　bulbs
  of　which　he　had　known　already。　He　therefore　answered；
  〃Three。〃
  〃What　has　become　of　these　bulbs？〃
  〃Oh！　what　has　become　of　them？　Well；　one　has　failed；　the
  second　has　produced　the　black　tulip。〃
  〃And　the　third？
  〃The　third！〃
  〃The　third；　　where　is　it？〃
  〃I　have　it　at　home；〃　said　Boxtel；　quite　confused。
  〃At　home？　Where？　At　Loewestein；　or　at　Dort？〃
  〃At　Dort；〃　said　Boxtel。
  〃You　lie！〃　cried　Rosa。　〃Monseigneur；〃　she　continued；　whilst
  turning　round　to　the　Prince；　〃I　will　tell　you　the　true　story
  of　these　three　bulbs。　The　first　was　crushed　by　my　father　in
  the　prisoner's　cell；　and　this　man　is　quite　aware　of　it；　for
  he　himself　wanted　to　get　hold　of　it；　and；　being　balked　in
  his　hope；　he　very　nearly　fell　out　with　my　father；　who　had
  been　the　cause　of　his　disappointment。　The　second　bulb；
  planted　by　me；　has　produced　the　black　tulip；　and　the　third
  and　last〃　　saying　this；　she　drew　it　from　her　bosom
  〃here　it　is；　in　the　very　same　paper　in　which　it　was　wrapped
  up　together　with　the　two　others。　When　about　to　be　led　to　the
  scaffold；　Cornelius　van　Baerle　gave　me　all　the　three。　Take
  it；　Monseigneur；　take　it。〃
  And　Rosa；　unfolding　the　paper；　offered　the　bulb　to　the
  Prince；　who　took　it　from　her　hands　and　examined　it。
  〃But；　Monseigneur；　this　young　woman　may　have　stolen　the
  bulb；　as　she　did　the　tulip；〃　Boxtel　said；　with　a　faltering
  voice；　and　evidently　alarmed　at　the　attention　with　which　the
  Prince　examined　the　bulb；　and　even　more　at　the　movements　of
  Rosa；　who　was　reading　some　lines　written　on　the　paper　which
  remained　in　her　hands。
  Her　eyes　suddenly　lighted　up；　she　read；　with　breathless
  anxiety；　the　mysterious　paper　over　and　over　again；　and　at
  last；　uttering　a　cry；　held　it　out　to　the　Prince　and　said；
  〃Read；　Monseigneur；　for　Heaven's　sake；　read！〃
  William　handed　the　third　bulb　to　Van　Systens；　took　the
  paper；　and　read。
  No　sooner　had　he　looked　at　it　than　he　began　to　stagger；　his
  hand　trembled；　and　very　nearly　let　the　paper　fall　to　the
  ground；　and　the　expression　of　pain　and　compassion　in　his
  features　was　really　frightful　to　see。
  It　was　that　fly…leaf；　taken　from　the　Bible；　which　Cornelius
  de　Witt　had　sent　to　Dort　by　Craeke；　the　servant　of　his
  brother　John；　to　request　Van　Baerle　to　burn　the
  correspondence　of　the　Grand　Pensionary　with　the　Marquis　de
  Louvois。
  This　request；　as　the　reader　may　remember；　was　couched　in　the
  following　terms：
  〃My　Dear　Godson；
  〃Burn　the　parcel　which　I　have　intrusted　to　you。　Burn　it
  without　looking　at　it；　and　without　opening　it；　so　that　its
  contents　may　for　ever　remain　unknown　to　yourself。　Secrets　of
  this　description　are　death　to　those　with　whom　they　are
  deposited。　Burn　it；　and　you　will　have　saved　John　and
  Cornelius　de　Witt。
  〃Farewell；　and　love　me。
  Cornelius　de　Witt。
  〃August　20；　1672。〃
  This　slip　of　paper　offered　the　proofs　both　of　Van　Baerle's
  innocence　and　of　his　claim　to　the　property　of　the　tulip。
  Rosa　and　the　Stadtholder　exchanged　one　look　only。
  That　of　Rosa　was　meant　to　express；　〃Here；　you　see　yourself。〃
  That　of　the　Stadtholder　signified；　〃Be　quiet；　and　wait。〃
  The　Prince　wiped　the　cold　sweat　from　his　forehead；　and
  slowly　folded　up　the　paper；　whilst　his　thoughts　were
  wandering　in　that　labyrinth　without　a　goal　and　without　a
  guide；　which　is　called　remorse　and　shame　for　the　past。
  Soon；　however；　raising　his　head　with　an　effort；　he　said；　in
  his　usual　voice；
  〃Go；　Mr。　Boxtel；　justice　shall　be　done；　I　promise　you。〃
  Then；　turning　to　the　President；　he　added；
  〃You；　my　dear　Mynheer　van　Systens；　take　charge　of　this　young
  woman　and　of　the　tulip。　Good…bye。〃
  All　bowed；　and　the　Prince　left；　among　the　deafening　cheers
  of　the　crowd　outside。
  Boxtel　returned　to　his　inn；　rather　puzzled　and　uneasy；
  tormented　by　misgivings　about　that　paper　which　William　had
  received　from　the　hand　of　Rosa；　and　which　his　Highness　had
  read；　folded　up；　and　so　carefully　put　in　his　pocket。　What
  was　the　meaning　of　all　this？
  Rosa　went　up　to　the　tulip；　tenderly　kissed　its　leaves　and；
  with　a　heart　full　of　happiness　and　confidence　in　the　ways　of
  God；　broke　out　in　the　words；
  〃Thou　knowest　best　for　what　end　Thou　madest　my　good
  Cornelius　teach　me　to　read。〃
  Chapter　28
  The　Hymn　of　the　Flowers
  Whilst　the　events　we　have　described　in　our　last　chapter　were
  taking　place；　the　unfortunate　Van　Baerle；　forgotten　in　his
  cell　in　the　fortress　of　Loewestein；　suffered　at　the　hands　of
  Gryphus　all　that　a　prisoner　can　suffer　when　his　jailer　has
  formed　the　determination　of　playing　the　part　of　hangman。
  Gryphus；　not　having　received　any　tidings　of　Rosa　or　of
  Jacob；　persuaded　himself　that　all　that　had　happened　was　the
  devil's　work；　and　that　Dr。　Cornelius　van　Baerle　had　been
  sent　on　earth　by　Satan。
  The　result　of　it　was；　that；　one　fine　morning；　the　third
  after　the　disappearance　of　Jacob　and　Rosa；　he　went　up　to　the
  cell　of　Cornelius　in　even　a　greater　rage　than　usual。
  The　latter；　leaning　with　his　elbows　on　the　window…sill　and
  supporting　his　head　with　his　two　hands；　whilst　his　eyes
  wandered　over　the　distant　hazy　horizon　where　the　windmills
  of　Dort　were　turning　their　sails；　was　breathing　the　fresh
  air；　in　order　to　be　able　to　keep　down　his　tears　and　to
  fortify　himself　in　his　philosophy。
  The　pigeons　were　still　there；　but　hope　was　not　there；　there
  was　no　future　to　look　forward　to。
  Alas！　Rosa；　being　watched；　was　no　longer　able　to　come。　Could
  she　not　write？　and　if　so；　could　she　convey　her　letters　to
  him？
  No；　no。　He　had　seen　during　the　two　preceding　days　too　much
  fury　and　malignity　in　the　eyes　of　old　Gryphus　to　expect　that
  his　vigilance　would　relax；　even　for　one　moment。　Moreover；
  had　not　she　to　suffer　even　worse　torments　than　those　of
  seclusion　and　separation？　Did　this　brutal；　blaspheming；
  drunken　bully　take　revenge　on　his　daughter；　like　the
  ruthless　fathers　of　the　Greek　drama？　And　when　the　Genievre
  had　heated　his　brain；　would　it　not　give　to　his　arm；　which
  had　been　only　too　well　set　by　Cornelius；　even　double　force？
  The　idea　that　Rosa　might　perhaps　be　ill…treated　nearly　drove
  Cornelius　mad。
  He　then　felt　his　own　powerlessness。　He　asked　himself　whether
  God　was　just　in　inflicting　so　much　tribulation　on　two
  innocent　creatures。　And　certainly　in　these　moments　he　began
  to　doubt　the　wisdom　of　Providence。　It　is　one　of　the　curses
  of　misfortune　that　it　thus　begets　doubt。
  Van　Baerle　had　proposed　to　write　to　Rosa；　but　where　was　she？
  He　also　would　have　wished　to　write　to　the　Hague　to　be
  beforehand　with　Gryphus；　who；　he　had　no　doubt；　would　by
  denouncing　him　do　his　best　to　bring　new　storms　on　his　head。
  But　how　should　he　write？　Gryphus　had　taken　the