Never　did　a　venomous　paper；　slipped　into　the　jaws　of　the
  bronze　lions　at　Venice；　produce　a　more　prompt　and　terrible
  effect。
  On　the　same　evening　the　letter　reached　the　principal
  magistrate；　who　without　a　moment's　delay　convoked　his
  colleagues　early　for　the　next　morning。　On　the　following
  morning；　therefore；　they　assembled；　and　decided　on　Van
  Baerle's　arrest；　placing　the　order　for　its　execution　in　the
  hands　of　Master　van　Spennen；　who；　as　we　have　seen；　performed
  his　duty　like　a　true　Hollander；　and　who　arrested　the　Doctor
  at　the　very　hour　when　the　Orange　party　at　the　Hague　were
  roasting　the　bleeding　shreds　of　flesh　torn　from　the　corpses
  of　Cornelius　and　John　de　Witt。
  But；　whether　from　a　feeling　of　shame　or　from　craven
  weakness；　Isaac　Boxtel　did　not　venture　that　day　to　point　his
  telescope　either　at　the　garden；　or　at　the　laboratory；　or　at
  the　dry…room。
  He　knew　too　well　what　was　about　to　happen　in　the　house　of
  the　poor　doctor　to　feel　any　desire　to　look　into　it。　He　did
  not　even　get　up　when　his　only　servant　　who　envied　the　lot
  of　the　servants　of　Cornelius　just　as　bitterly　as　Boxtel　did
  that　of　their　master　　entered　his　bedroom。　He　said　to　the
  man；
  〃I　shall　not　get　up　to…day；　I　am　ill。〃
  About　nine　o'clock　he　heard　a　great　noise　in　the　street
  which　made　him　tremble；　at　this　moment　he　was　paler　than　a
  real　invalid；　and　shook　more　violently　than　a　man　in　the
  height　of　fever。
  His　servant　entered　the　room；　Boxtel　hid　himself　under　the
  counterpane。
  〃Oh；　sir！〃　cried　the　servant；　not　without　some　inkling　that；
  whilst　deploring　the　mishap　which　had　befallen　Van　Baerle；
  he　was　announcing　agreeable　news　to　his　master；　　〃oh；　sir！
  you　do　not　know；　then；　what　is　happening　at　this　moment？〃
  〃How　can　I　know　it？〃　answered　Boxtel；　with　an　almost
  unintelligible　voice。
  〃Well；　Mynheer　Boxtel；　at　this　moment　your　neighbour
  Cornelius　van　Baerle　is　arrested　for　high　treason。〃
  〃Nonsense！〃　Boxtel　muttered；　with　a　faltering　voice；　〃the
  thing　is　impossible。〃
  〃Faith；　sir；　at　any　rate　that's　what　people　say；　and；
  besides；　I　have　seen　Judge　van　Spennen　with　the　archers
  entering　the　house。〃
  〃Well；　if　you　have　seen　it　with　your　own　eyes；　that's　a
  different　case　altogether。〃
  〃At　all　events；〃　said　the　servant；　〃I　shall　go　and　inquire
  once　more。　Be　you　quiet；　sir；　I　shall　let　you　know　all　about
  it。〃
  Boxtel　contented　himself　with　signifying　his　approval　of　the
  zeal　of　his　servant　by　dumb　show。
  The　man　went　out；　and　returned　in　half　an　hour。
  〃Oh；　sir；　all　that　I　told　you　is　indeed　quite　true。〃
  〃How　so？〃
  〃Mynheer　van　Baerle　is　arrested；　and　has　been　put　into　a
  carriage；　and　they　are　driving　him　to　the　Hague。〃
  〃To　the　Hague！〃
  〃Yes；　to　the　Hague；　and　if　what　people　say　is　true；　it　won't
  do　him　much　good。〃
  〃And　what　do　they　say？〃　Boxtel　asked。
  〃Faith；　sir；　they　say　　but　it　is　not　quite　sure　　that　by
  this　hour　the　burghers　must　be　murdering　Mynheer　Cornelius
  and　Mynheer　John　de　Witt。〃
  〃Oh；〃　muttered；　or　rather　growled　Boxtel；　closing　his　eyes
  from　the　dreadful　picture　which　presented　itself　to　his
  imagination。
  〃Why；　to　be　sure；〃　said　the　servant　to　himself；　whilst
  leaving　the　room；　〃Mynheer　Isaac　Boxtel　must　be　very　sick
  not　to　have　jumped　from　his　bed　on　hearing　such　good　news。〃
  And；　in　reality；　Isaac　Boxtel　was　very　sick；　like　a　man　who
  has　murdered　another。
  But　he　had　murdered　his　man　with　a　double　object；　the　first
  was　attained；　the　second　was　still　to　be　attained。
  Night　closed　in。　It　was　the　night　which　Boxtel　had　looked
  forward　to。
  As　soon　as　it　was　dark　he　got　up。
  He　then　climbed　into　his　sycamore。
  He　had　calculated　correctly；　no　one　thought　of　keeping　watch
  over　the　garden；　the　house　and　the　servants　were　all　in　the
  utmost　confusion。
  He　heard　the　clock　strike　　ten；　eleven；　twelve。
  At　midnight；　with　a　beating　heart；　trembling　hands；　and　a
  livid　countenance；　he　descended　from　the　tree；　took　a
  ladder；　leaned　it　against　the　wall；　mounted　it　to　the　last
  step　but　one；　and　listened。
  All　was　perfectly　quiet；　not　a　sound　broke　the　silence　of
  the　night；　one　solitary　light；　that　of　the　housekeeper；　was
  burning　in　the　house。
  This　silence　and　this　darkness　emboldened　Boxtel；　he　got
  astride　the　wall；　stopped　for　an　instant；　and；　after　having
  ascertained　that　there　was　nothing　to　fear；　he　put　his
  ladder　from　his　own　garden　into　that　of　Cornelius；　and
  descended。
  Then；　knowing　to　an　inch　where　the　bulbs　which　were　to
  produce　the　black　tulip　were　planted；　he　ran　towards　the
  spot；　following；　however；　the　gravelled　walks　in　order　not
  to　be　betrayed　by　his　footprints；　and；　on　arriving　at　the
  precise　spot；　he　proceeded；　with　the　eagerness　of　a　tiger；
  to　plunge　his　hand　into　the　soft　ground。
  He　found　nothing；　and　thought　he　was　mistaken。
  In　the　meanwhile；　the　cold　sweat　stood　on　his　brow。
  He　felt　about　close　by　it；　　nothing。
  He　felt　about　on　the　right；　and　on　the　left；　　nothing。
  He　felt　about　in　front　and　at　the　back；　　nothing。
  He　was　nearly　mad；　when　at　last　he　satisfied　himself　that　on
  that　very　morning　the　earth　had　been　disturbed。
  In　fact；　whilst　Boxtel　was　lying　in　bed；　Cornelius　had　gone
  down　to　his　garden；　had　taken　up　the　mother　bulb；　and；　as　we
  have　seen；　divided　it　into　three。
  Boxtel　could　not　bring　himself　to　leave　the　place。　He　dug　up
  with　his　hands　more　than　ten　square　feet　of　ground。
  At　last　no　doubt　remained　of　his　misfortune。　Mad　with　rage；
  he　returned　to　his　ladder；　mounted　the　wall；　drew　up　the
  ladder；　flung　it　into　his　own　garden；　and　jumped　after　it。
  All　at　once；　a　last　ray　of　hope　presented　itself　to　his
  mind：　the　seedling　bulbs　might　be　in　the　dry…room；　it　was
  therefore　only　requisite　to　make　his　entry　there　as　he　had
  done　into　the　garden。
  There　he　would　find　them；　and；　moreover；　it　was　not　at　all
  difficult；　as　the　sashes　of　the　dry…room　might　be　raised
  like　those　of　a　greenhouse。　Cornelius　had　opened　them　on
  that　morning；　and　no　one　had　thought　of　closing　them　again。
  Everything；　therefore；　depended　upon　whether　he　could
  procure　a　ladder　of　sufficient　length；　　one　of　twenty…five
  feet　instead　of　ten。
  Boxtel　had　noticed　in　the　street　where　he　lived　a　house
  which　was　being　repaired；　and　against　which　a　very　tall
  ladder　was　placed。
  This　ladder　would　do　admirably；　unless　the　workmen　had　taken
  it　away。
  He　ran　to　the　house：　the　ladder　was　there。　Boxtel　took　it；
  carried　it　with　great　exertion　to　his　garden；　and　with　even
  greater　difficulty　raised　it　against　the　wall　of　Van
  Baerle's　house；　where　it　just　reached　to　the　window。
  Boxtel　put　a　lighted　dark　lantern　into　his　pocket；　mounted
  the　ladder；　and　slipped　into　the　dry…room。
  On　reaching　this　sanctuary　of　the　florist　he　stopped；
  supporting　himself　against　the　table；　his　legs　failed　him；
  his　heart　beat　as　if　it　would　choke　him。　Here　it　was　even
  worse　than　in　the　garden；　there　Boxtel　was　only　a
  trespasser；　here　he　was　a　thief。
  However；　he　took　courage　again：　he　had　not　gone　so　far　to
  turn　back　with　empty　hands。
  But　in　vain　did　he　search　the　whole　room；　open　and　shut　all
  the　drawers；　even　that　privileged　one　where　the　parcel　which
  had　been　so　fatal　to　Cornelius　had　been　deposited；　he　found
  ticketed；　as　in　a　botanical　garden；　the　〃Jane；〃　the　〃John　de
  Witt；〃　the　hazel…nut；　and　the　roasted…coffee　coloured　tulip；
  but　of　the　black　tulip；　or　rather　the　seedling　bulbs　within
  which　it　was　still　sleeping；　not　a　trace　was　found。
  And　yet；　on　looking　over　the　register　of　seeds　and　bulbs；
  which　Van　Baerle　kept　in　duplicate；　if　possible　even　with
  greater　exactitude　and　care　than　the　first　commercial　houses
  of　Amsterdam　their　ledgers；　Boxtel　read　these　lines：
  〃To…day；　20th　of　August；　1672；　I　have　taken　up　the　mother
  bulb　of　the　grand　black　tulip；　which　I　have　divided　into
  three　perfect　suckers。〃
  〃Oh　these　bulbs；　these　bulbs！〃　howled　Boxtel；　turning　over
  everything　in　the　dry…room；　〃where　could　he　have　concealed
  them？〃
  Then；　suddenly　striking　his　forehead　in　his　frenzy；　he
  called　out；　〃Oh　wretch　that　I　am！　Oh　thrice　fool　Boxtel！
  Would　any　one　be　separated　from　his　bulbs？　Would　any　one
  leave　them　at　Dort；　when　one　goes　to　the　Hague？　Could　one
  live　far　from　one's　bulbs；　when　they　enclose　the　grand　black
  tulip？　He　had　time　to　get　hold　of　them；　the　scoundrel；　he
  has　them　about　him；　he　has　taken　them　to　the　Hague！〃
  It　was　like　a　flash　of　lightning　which　showed　to　Boxtel　the
  abyss　of　a　uselessly　committed　crime。
  Boxtel　sank　quite　paralyzed　on　that　very　table；　and　on　that
  very　spot　where；　some　hours　before；　the　unfortunate　Van
  Baerle　had　so　leisurely；　and　with　such　intense　delight；
  contemplated　his　darling　bulbs。
  〃Well；　then；　after　all；〃　said　the　envious　Boxtel；　　raising
  his　livid　face　from　his　hands　in　which　it　had　been　buried
  〃if　he　has　them；　he　can　keep　them　only　as　long　as　he　lives；
  and　　〃
  The　rest　of　this　detestable　thought　was　expressed　by　a
  hideous　smile。
  〃The　bulbs　are　at　the　Hague；〃　he　said；　〃therefore；　I　can　no
  longer　live　at　Dort：　away；　then；　for　them；　to　the　Hague！　to
  the　Hagu