〃Arrest　me？　arrest　me；　do　you　say？〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　and　they　are　headed　by　a　magistrate。〃
  〃What's　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃　said　Van　Baerle；　grasping
  in　his　hands　the　two　bulbs；　and　directing　his　terrified
  glance　towards　the　staircase。
  〃They　are　coming　up！　they　are　coming　up！〃　cried　the　servant。
  〃Oh；　my　dear　child；　my　worthy　master！〃　cried　the　old
  housekeeper；　who　now　likewise　made　her　appearance　in　the
  dry…room；　〃take　your　gold；　your　jewelry；　and　fly；　fly！〃
  〃But　how　shall　I　make　my　escape；　nurse？〃　said　Van　Baerle。
  〃Jump　out　of　the　window。〃
  〃Twenty…five　feet　from　the　ground！〃
  〃But　you　will　fall　on　six　feet　of　soft　soil！〃
  〃Yes；　but　I　should　fall　on　my　tulips。〃
  〃Never　mind；　jump　out。〃
  Cornelius　took　the　third　bulb；　approached　the　window　and
  opened　it；　but　seeing　what　havoc　he　would　necessarily　cause
  in　his　borders；　and；　more　than　this；　what　a　height　he　would
  have　to　jump；　he　called　out；　〃Never！〃　and　fell　back　a　step。
  At　this　moment　they　saw　across　the　banister　of　the　staircase
  the　points　of　the　halberds　of　the　soldiers　rising。
  The　housekeeper　raised　her　hands　to　heaven。
  As　to　Cornelius　van　Baerle；　it　must　be　stated　to　his　honour；
  not　as　a　man；　but　as　a　tulip…fancier；　his　only　thought　was
  for　his　inestimable　bulbs。
  Looking　about　for　a　paper　in　which　to　wrap　them　up；　he
  noticed　the　fly…leaf　from　the　Bible；　which　Craeke　had　laid
  upon　the　table；　took　it　without　in　his　confusion　remembering
  whence　it　came；　folded　in　it　the　three　bulbs；　secreted　them
  in　his　bosom；　and　waited。
  At　this　very　moment　the　soldiers；　preceded　by　a　magistrate；
  entered　the　room。
  〃Are　you　Dr。　Cornelius　van　Baerle？〃　demanded　the　magistrate
  （who；　although　knowing　the　young　man　very　well；　put　his
  question　according　to　the　forms　of　justice；　which　gave　his
  proceedings　a　much　more　dignified　air）。
  〃I　am　that　person；　Master　van　Spennen；〃　answered　Cornelius；
  politely；　to　his　judge；　〃and　you　know　it　very　well。〃
  〃Then　give　up　to　us　the　seditious　papers　which　you　secrete
  in　your　house。〃
  〃The　seditious　papers！〃　repeated　Cornelius；　quite　dumfounded
  at　the　imputation。
  〃Now　don't　look　astonished；　if　you　please。〃
  〃I　vow　to　you；　Master　van　Spennen；　〃Cornelius　replied；　〃that
  I　am　completely　at　a　loss　to　understand　what　you　want。〃
  〃Then　I　shall　put　you　in　the　way；　Doctor；〃　said　the　judge；
  〃give　up　to　us　the　papers　which　the　traitor　Cornelius　de
  Witt　deposited　with　you　in　the　month　of　January　last。〃
  A　sudden　light　came　into　the　mind　of　Cornelius。
  〃Halloa！〃　said　Van　Spennen；　〃you　begin　now　to　remember；
  don't　you？〃
  〃Indeed　I　do；　but　you　spoke　of　seditious　papers；　and　I　have
  none　of　that　sort。〃
  〃You　deny　it　then？〃
  〃Certainly　I　do。〃
  The　magistrate　turned　round　and　took　a　rapid　survey　of　the
  whole　cabinet。
  〃Where　is　the　apartment　you　call　your　dry…room？〃　he　asked。
  〃The　very　same　where　you　now　are；　Master　van　Spennen。〃
  The　magistrate　cast　a　glance　at　a　small　note　at　the　top　of
  his　papers。
  〃All　right；〃　he　said；　like　a　man　who　is　sure　of　his　ground。
  Then；　turning　round　towards　Cornelius；　he　continued；　〃Will
  you　give　up　those　papers　to　me？〃
  〃But　I　cannot；　Master　van　Spennen；　those　papers　do　not
  belong　to　me；　they　have　been　deposited　with　me　as　a　trust；
  and　a　trust　is　sacred。〃
  〃Dr。　Cornelius；〃　said　the　judge；　〃in　the　name　of　the　States；
  I　order　you　to　open　this　drawer；　and　to　give　up　to　me　the
  papers　which　it　contains。〃
  Saying　this；　the　judge　pointed　with　his　finger　to　the　third
  drawer　of　the　press；　near　the　fireplace。
  In　this　very　drawer；　indeed　the　papers　deposited　by　the
  Warden　of　the　Dikes　with　his　godson　were　lying；　a　proof　that
  the　police　had　received　very　exact　information。
  〃Ah！　you　will　not；〃　said　Van　Spennen；　when　he　saw　Cornelius
  standing　immovable　and　bewildered；　〃then　I　shall　open　the
  drawer　myself。〃
  And；　pulling　out　the　drawer　to　its　full　length；　the
  magistrate　at　first　alighted　on　about　twenty　bulbs；
  carefully　arranged　and　ticketed；　and　then　on　the　paper
  parcel；　which　had　remained　in　exactly　the　same　state　as　it
  was　when　delivered　by　the　unfortunate　Cornelius　de　Witt　to
  his　godson。
  The　magistrate　broke　the　seals；　tore　off　the　envelope；　cast
  an　eager　glance　on　the　first　leaves　which　met　his　eye　and
  then　exclaimed；　in　a　terrible　voice；
  〃Well；　justice　has　been　rightly　informed　after　all！〃
  〃How；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃how　is　this？〃
  〃Don't　pretend　to　be　ignorant；　Mynheer　van　Baerle；〃　answered
  the　magistrate。　〃Follow　me。〃
  〃How's　that！　follow　you？〃　cried　the　Doctor。
  〃Yes；　sir；　for　in　the　name　of　the　States　I　arrest　you。〃
  Arrests　were　not　as　yet　made　in　the　name　of　William　of
  Orange；　he　had　not　been　Stadtholder　long　enough　for　that。
  〃Arrest　me！〃　cried　Cornelius；　〃but　what　have　I　done？〃
  〃That's　no　affair　of　mine；　Doctor；　you　will　explain　all　that
  before　your　judges。〃
  〃Where？〃
  〃At　the　Hague。〃
  Cornelius；　in　mute　stupefaction；　embraced　his　old　nurse；　who
  was　in　a　swoon；　shook　hands　with　his　servants；　who　were
  bathed　in　tears；　and　followed　the　magistrate；　who　put　him　in
  a　coach　as　a　prisoner　of　state　and　had　him　driven　at　full
  gallop　to　the　Hague。
  Chapter　8
  An　Invasion
  The　incident　just　related　was；　as　the　reader　has　guessed
  before　this；　the　diabolical　work　of　Mynheer　Isaac　Boxtel。
  It　will　be　remembered　that；　with　the　help　of　his　telescope；
  not　even　the　least　detail　of　the　private　meeting　between
  Cornelius　de　Witt　and　Van　Baerle　had　escaped　him。　He　had；
  indeed；　heard　nothing；　but　he　had　seen　everything；　and　had
  rightly　concluded　that　the　papers　intrusted　by　the　Warden　to
  the　Doctor　must　have　been　of　great　importance；　as　he　saw　Van
  Baerle　so　carefully　secreting　the　parcel　in　the　drawer　where
  he　used　to　keep　his　most　precious　bulbs。
  The　upshot　of　all　this　was　that　when　Boxtel；　who　watched　the
  course　of　political　events　much　more　attentively　than　his
  neighbour　Cornelius　was　used　to　do；　heard　the　news　of　the
  brothers　De　Witt　being　arrested　on　a　charge　of　high　treason
  against　the　States；　he　thought　within　his　heart　that　very
  likely　he　needed　only　to　say　one　word；　and　the　godson　would
  be　arrested　as　well　as　the　godfather。
  Yet；　full　of　happiness　as　was　Boxtel's　heart　at　the　chance；
  he　at　first　shrank　with　horror　from　the　idea　of　informing
  against　a　man　whom　this　information　might　lead　to　the
  scaffold。
  But　there　is　this　terrible　thing　in　evil　thoughts；　that　evil
  minds　soon　grow　familiar　with　them。
  Besides　this；　Mynheer　Isaac　Boxtel　encouraged　himself　with
  the　following　sophism：
  〃Cornelius　de　Witt　is　a　bad　citizen；　as　he　is　charged　with
  high　treason；　and　arrested。
  〃I；　on　the　contrary；　am　a　good　citizen；　as　I　am　not　charged
  with　anything　in　the　world；　as　I　am　as　free　as　the　air　of
  heaven。〃
  〃If；　therefore；　Cornelius　de　Witt　is　a　bad　citizen；　　of
  which　there　can　be　no　doubt；　as　he　is　charged　with　high
  treason；　and　arrested；　　his　accomplice；　Cornelius　van
  Baerle；　is　no　less　a　bad　citizen　than　himself。
  〃And；　as　I　am　a　good　citizen；　and　as　it　is　the　duty　of　every
  good　citizen　to　inform　against　the　bad　ones；　it　is　my　duty
  to　inform　against　Cornelius　van　Baerle。〃
  Specious　as　this　mode　of　reasoning　might　sound；　it　would　not
  perhaps　have　taken　so　complete　a　hold　of　Boxtel；　nor　would
  he　perhaps　have　yielded　to　the　mere　desire　of　vengeance
  which　was　gnawing　at　his　heart；　had　not　the　demon　of　envy
  been　joined　with　that　of　cupidity。
  Boxtel　was　quite　aware　of　the　progress　which　Van　Baerle　had
  made　towards　producing　the　grand　black　tulip。
  Dr。　Cornelius；　notwithstanding　all　his　modesty；　had　not　been
  able　to　hide　from　his　most　intimate　friends　that　he　was　all
  but　certain　to　win；　in　the　year　of　grace　1673；　the　prize　of
  a　hundred　thousand　guilders　offered　by　the　Horticultural
  Society　of　Haarlem。
  It　was　just　this　certainty　of　Cornelius　van　Baerle　that
  caused　the　fever　which　raged　in　the　heart　of　Isaac　Boxtel。
  If　Cornelius　should　be　arrested　there　would　necessarily　be　a
  great　upset　in　his　house；　and　during　the　night　after　his
  arrest　no　one　would　think　of　keeping　watch　over　the　tulips
  in　his　garden。
  Now　in　that　night　Boxtel　would　climb　over　the　wall　and；　as
  he　knew　the　position　of　the　bulb　which　was　to　produce　the
  grand　black　tulip；　he　would　filch　it；　and　instead　of
  flowering　for　Cornelius；　it　would　flower　for　him；　Isaac；　he
  also；　instead　of　Van　Baerle；　would　have　the　prize　of　a
  hundred　thousand　guilders；　not　to　speak　of　the　sublime
  honour　of　calling　the　new　flower　Tulipa　nigra　Boxtellensis；
  a　result　which　would　satisfy　not　only　his　vengeance；　but
  also　his　cupidity　and　his　ambition。
  Awake；　he　thought　of　nothing　but　the　grand　black　tulip；
  asleep；　he　dreamed　of　it。
  At　last；　on　the　19th　of　August；　about　two　o'clock　in　the
  afternoon；　the　temptation　grew　so　strong；　that　Mynheer　Isaac
  was　no　longer　able　to　resist　it。
  Accordingly；　he　wrote　an　anonymous　information；　the　minute
  exactness　of　which　made　up　for　its　want　of　authenticity；　and
  posted　his　letter。
  Never　did　a　venomous　paper；　slipped　into　the　jaws　of　the
  bronze　lions　at　Venice；　produce