disappeared　for　ever　from　the　list　of　the　notable
  tulip…growers　in　Holland；　and　those　of　Dort　were　now
  represented　by　Cornelius　van　Baerle；　the　modest　and
  inoffensive　savant。
  Engaging；　heart　and　soul；　in　his　pursuits　of　sowing；
  planting；　and　gathering；　Van　Baerle；　caressed　by　the　whole
  fraternity　of　tulip…growers　in　Europe；　entertained　nor　the
  least　suspicion　that　there　was　at　his　very　door　a　pretender
  whose　throne　he　had　usurped。
  He　went　on　in　his　career；　and　consequently　in　his　triumphs；
  and　in　the　course　of　two　years　he　covered　his　borders　with
  such　marvellous　productions　as　no　mortal　man；　following　in
  the　tracks　of　the　Creator；　except　perhaps　Shakespeare　and
  Rubens；　have　equalled　in　point　of　numbers。
  And　also；　if　Dante　had　wished　for　a　new　type　to　be　added　to
  his　characters　of　the　Inferno；　he　might　have　chosen　Boxtel
  during　the　period　of　Van　Baerle's　successes。　Whilst
  Cornelius　was　weeding；　manuring；　watering　his　beds；　whilst；
  kneeling　on　the　turf　border；　he　analysed　every　vein　of　the
  flowering　tulips；　and　meditated　on　the　modifications　which
  might　be　effected　by　crosses　of　colour　or　otherwise；　Boxtel；
  concealed　behind　a　small　sycamore　which　he　had　trained　at
  the　top　of　the　partition　wall　in　the　shape　of　a　fan；
  watched；　with　his　eyes　starting　from　their　sockets　and　with
  foaming　mouth；　every　step　and　every　gesture　of　his
  neighbour；　and　whenever　he　thought　he　saw　him　look　happy；　or
  descried　a　smile　on　his　lips；　or　a　flash　of　contentment
  glistening　in　his　eyes；　he　poured　out　towards　him　such　a
  volley　of　maledictions　and　furious　threats　as　to　make　it
  indeed　a　matter　of　wonder　that　this　venomous　breath　of　envy
  and　hatred　did　not　carry　a　blight　on　the　innocent　flowers
  which　had　excited　it。
  When　the　evil　spirit　has　once　taken　hold　of　the　heart　of
  man；　it　urges　him　on；　without　letting　him　stop。　Thus　Boxtel
  soon　was　no　longer　content　with　seeing　Van　Baerle。　He　wanted
  to　see　his　flowers；　too；　he　had　the　feelings　of　an　artist；
  the　master…piece　of　a　rival　engrossed　his　interest。
  He　therefore　bought　a　telescope；　which　enabled　him　to　watch
  as　accurately　as　did　the　owner　himself　every　progressive
  development　of　the　flower；　from　the　moment　when；　in　the
  first　year；　its　pale　seed…leaf　begins　to　peep　from　the
  ground；　to　that　glorious　one；　when；　after　five　years；　its
  petals　at　last　reveal　the　hidden　treasures　of　its　chalice。
  How　often　had　the　miserable；　jealous　man　to　observe　in　Van
  Baerle's　beds　tulips　which　dazzled　him　by　their　beauty；　and
  almost　choked　him　by　their　perfection！
  And　then；　after　the　first　blush　of　the　admiration　which　he
  could　not　help　feeling；　he　began　to　be　tortured　by　the　pangs
  of　envy；　by　that　slow　fever　which　creeps　over　the　heart　and
  changes　it　into　a　nest　of　vipers；　each　devouring　the　other
  and　ever　born　anew。　How　often　did　Boxtel；　in　the　midst　of
  tortures　which　no　pen　is　able　fully　to　describe；　　how
  often　did　he　feel　an　inclination　to　jump　down　into　the
  garden　during　the　night；　to　destroy　the　plants；　to　tear　the
  bulbs　with　his　teeth；　and　to　sacrifice　to　his　wrath　the
  owner　himself；　if　he　should　venture　to　stand　up　for　the
  defence　of　his　tulips！
  But　to　kill　a　tulip　was　a　horrible　crime　in　the　eyes　of　a
  genuine　tulip…fancier；　as　to　killing　a　man；　it　would　not
  have　mattered　so　very　much。
  Yet　Van　Baerle　made　such　progress　in　the　noble　science　of
  growing　tulips；　which　he　seemed　to　master　with　the　true
  instinct　of　genius；　that　Boxtel　at　last　was　maddened　to　such
  a　degree　as　to　think　of　throwing　stones　and　sticks　into　the
  flower…stands　of　his　neighbour。　But；　remembering　that　he
  would　be　sure　to　be　found　out；　and　that　he　would　not　only　be
  punished　by　law；　but　also　dishonoured　for　ever　in　the　face
  of　all　the　tulip…growers　of　Europe；　he　had　recourse　to
  stratagem；　and；　to　gratify　his　hatred；　tried　to　devise　a
  plan　by　means　of　which　he　might　gain　his　ends　without　being
  compromised　himself。
  He　considered　a　long　time；　and　at　last　his　meditations　were
  crowned　with　success。
  One　evening　he　tied　two　cats　together　by　their　hind　legs
  with　a　string　about　six　feet　in　length；　and　threw　them　from
  the　wall　into　the　midst　of　that　noble；　that　princely；　that
  royal　bed；　which　contained　not　only　the　〃Cornelius　de　Witt；〃
  but　also　the　〃Beauty　of　Brabant；〃　milk…white；　edged　with
  purple　and　pink；　the　〃Marble　of　Rotterdam；〃　colour　of　flax；
  blossoms　feathered　red　and　flesh　colour；　the　〃Wonder　of
  Haarlem；〃　the　〃Colombin　obscur；〃　and　the　〃Columbin　clair
  terni。〃
  The　frightened　cats；　having　alighted　on　the　ground；　first
  tried　to　fly　each　in　a　different　direction；　until　the　string
  by　which　they　were　tied　together　was　tightly　stretched
  across　the　bed；　then；　however；　feeling　that　they　were　not
  able　to　get　off；　they　began　to　pull　to　and　fro；　and　to　wheel
  about　with　hideous　caterwaulings；　mowing　down　with　their
  string　the　flowers　among　which　they　were　struggling；　until；
  after　a　furious　strife　of　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　the
  string　broke　and　the　combatants　vanished。
  Boxtel；　hidden　behind　his　sycamore；　could　not　see　anything；
  as　it　was　pitch…dark；　but　the　piercing　cries　of　the　cats
  told　the　whole　tale；　and　his　heart　overflowing　with　gall　now
  throbbed　with　triumphant　joy。
  Boxtel　was　so　eager　to　ascertain　the　extent　of　the　injury；
  that　he　remained　at　his　post　until　morning　to　feast　his　eyes
  on　the　sad　state　in　which　the　two　cats　had　left　the
  flower…beds　of　his　neighbour。　The　mists　of　the　morning
  chilled　his　frame；　but　he　did　not　feel　the　cold；　the　hope　of
  revenge　keeping　his　blood　at　fever　heat。　The　chagrin　of　his
  rival　was　to　pay　for　all　the　inconvenience　which　he　incurred
  himself。
  At　the　earliest　dawn　the　door　of　the　white　house　opened；　and
  Van　Baerle　made　his　appearance；　approaching　the　flower…beds
  with　the　smile　of　a　man　who　has　passed　the　night　comfortably
  in　his　bed；　and　has　had　happy　dreams。
  All　at　once　he　perceived　furrows　and　little　mounds　of　earth
  on　the　beds　which　only　the　evening　before　had　been　as　smooth
  as　a　mirror；　all　at　once　he　perceived　the　symmetrical　rows
  of　his　tulips　to　be　completely　disordered；　like　the　pikes　of
  a　battalion　in　the　midst　of　which　a　shell　has　fallen。
  He　ran　up　to　them　with　blanched　cheek。
  Boxtel　trembled　with　joy。　Fifteen　or　twenty　tulips；　torn　and
  crushed；　were　lying　about；　some　of　them　bent；　others
  completely　broken　and　already　withering；　the　sap　oozing　from
  their　bleeding　bulbs：　how　gladly　would　Van　Baerle　have
  redeemed　that　precious　sap　with　his　own　blood！
  But　what　were　his　surprise　and　his　delight！　what　was　the
  disappointment　of　his　rival！　Not　one　of　the　four　tulips
  which　the　latter　had　meant　to　destroy　was　injured　at　all。
  They　raised　proudly　their　noble　heads　above　the　corpses　of
  their　slain　companions。　This　was　enough　to　console　Van
  Baerle；　and　enough　to　fan　the　rage　of　the　horticultural
  murderer；　who　tore　his　hair　at　the　sight　of　the　effects　of
  the　crime　which　he　had　committed　in　vain。
  Van　Baerle　could　not　imagine　the　cause　of　the　mishap；　which；
  fortunately；　was　of　far　less　consequence　than　it　might　have
  been。　On　making　inquiries；　he　learned　that　the　whole　night
  had　been　disturbed　by　terrible　caterwaulings。　He　besides
  found　traces　of　the　cats；　their　footmarks　and　hairs　left
  behind　on　the　battle…field；　to　guard；　therefore；　in　future
  against　a　similar　outrage；　he　gave　orders　that　henceforth
  one　of　the　under　gardeners　should　sleep　in　the　garden　in　a
  sentry…box　near　the　flower…beds。
  Boxtel　heard　him　give　the　order；　and　saw　the　sentry…box　put
  up　that　very　day；　but　he　deemed　himself　lucky　in　not　having
  been　suspected；　and；　being　more　than　ever　incensed　against
  the　successful　horticulturist；　he　resolved　to　bide　his　time。
  Just　then　the　Tulip　Society　of　Haarlem　offered　a　prize　for
  the　discovery　（we　dare　not　say　the　manufacture）　of　a　large
  black　tulip　without　a　spot　of　colour；　a　thing　which　had　not
  yet　been　accomplished；　and　was　considered　impossible；　as　at
  that　time　there　did　not　exist　a　flower　of　that　species
  approaching　even　to　a　dark　nut　brown。　It　was；　therefore；
  generally　said　that　the　founders　of　the　prize　might　just　as
  well　have　offered　two　millions　as　a　hundred　thousand
  guilders；　since　no　one　would　be　able　to　gain　it。
  The　tulip…growing　world；　however；　was　thrown　by　it　into　a
  state　of　most　active　commotion。　Some　fanciers　caught　at　the
  idea　without　believing　it　practicable；　but　such　is　the　power
  of　imagination　among　florists；　that　although　considering　the
  undertaking　as　certain　to　fail；　all　their　thoughts　were
  engrossed　by　that　great　black　tulip；　which　was　looked　upon
  to　be　as　chimerical　as　the　black　swan　of　Horace　or　the　white
  raven　of　French　tradition。
  Van　Baerle　was　one　of　the　tulip…growers　who　were　struck　with
  the　idea；　Boxtel　thought　of　it　in　the　light　of　a
  speculation。　Van　Baerle；　as　soon　as　the　idea　had　once　taken
  root　in　his　clear　and　ingenious　mind；　began　slowly　the
  necessary　planting　and　cross…breeding　to　reduce　the　tulips
  which　he　had　grown　already　from　red　to　brown；　and　from　brown
  to　dark　brown。
  By　the　next　year　he　had　obtained　flowers　of　a　perfect
  nut…