distance　of　some　yards；　and　only　rose　again；　bruised　and
  begrimed；　after　the　whole　rabble　of　the　Hague；　with　their
  muddy　feet；　had　passed　over　him。
  One　would　think　that　this　was　enough　for　one　day；　but
  Mynheer　Boxtel　did　not　seem　to　think　so；　as；　in　addition　to
  having　his　clothes　torn；　his　back　bruised；　and　his　hands
  scratched；　he　inflicted　upon　himself　the　further　punishment
  of　tearing　out　his　hair　by　handfuls；　as　an　offering　to　that
  goddess　of　envy　who；　as　mythology　teaches　us；　wears　a
  head…dress　of　serpents。
  Chapter　14
  The　Pigeons　of　Dort
  It　was　indeed　in　itself　a　great　honour　for　Cornelius　van
  Baerle　to　be　confined　in　the　same　prison　which　had　once
  received　the　learned　master　Grotius。
  But　on　arriving　at　the　prison　he　met　with　an　honour　even
  greater。　As　chance　would　have　it；　the　cell　formerly
  inhabited　by　the　illustrious　Barneveldt　happened　to　be
  vacant；　when　the　clemency　of　the　Prince　of　Orange　sent　the
  tulip…fancier　Van　Baerle　there。
  The　cell　had　a　very　bad　character　at　the　castle　since　the
  time　when　Grotius；　by　means　of　the　device　of　his　wife；　made
  escape　from　it　in　that　famous　book…chest　which　the　jailers
  forgot　to　examine。
  On　the　other　hand；　it　seemed　to　Van　Baerle　an　auspicious
  omen　that　this　very　cell　was　assigned　to　him；　for　according
  to　his　ideas；　a　jailer　ought　never　to　have　given　to　a　second
  pigeon　the　cage　from　which　the　first　had　so　easily　flown。
  The　cell　had　an　historical　character。　We　will　only　state
  here　that；　with　the　exception　of　an　alcove　which　was
  contrived　there　for　the　use　of　Madame　Grotius；　it　differed
  in　no　respect　from　the　other　cells　of　the　prison；　only；
  perhaps；　it　was　a　little　higher；　and　had　a　splendid　view
  from　the　grated　window。
  Cornelius　felt　himself　perfectly　indifferent　as　to　the　place
  where　he　had　to　lead　an　existence　which　was　little　more　than
  vegetation。　There　were　only　two　things　now　for　which　he
  cared；　and　the　possession　of　which　was　a　happiness　enjoyed
  only　in　imagination。
  A　flower；　and　a　woman；　both　of　them；　as　he　conceived；　lost
  to　him　for　ever。
  Fortunately　the　good　doctor　was　mistaken。　In　his　prison　cell
  the　most　adventurous　life　which　ever　fell　to　the　lot　of　any
  tulip…fancier　was　reserved　for　him。
  One　morning；　whilst　at　his　window　inhaling　the　fresh　air
  which　came　from　the　river；　and　casting　a　longing　look　to　the
  windmills　of　his　dear　old　city　Dort；　which　were　looming　in
  the　distance　behind　a　forest　of　chimneys；　he　saw　flocks　of
  pigeons　coming　from　that　quarter　to　perch　fluttering　on　the
  pointed　gables　of　Loewestein。
  These　pigeons；　Van　Baerle　said　to　himself；　are　coming　from
  Dort；　and　consequently　may　return　there。　By　fastening　a
  little　note　to　the　wing　of　one　of　these　pigeons；　one　might
  have　a　chance　to　send　a　message　there。　Then；　after　a　few
  moments'　consideration；　he　exclaimed；
  〃I　will　do　it。〃
  A　man　grows　very　patient　who　is　twenty…eight　years　of　age；
  and　condemned　to　a　prison　for　life；　　that　is　to　say；　to
  something　like　twenty…two　or　twenty…three　thousand　days　of
  captivity。
  Van　Baerle；　from　whose　thoughts　the　three　bulbs　were　never
  absent；　made　a　snare　for　catching　the　pigeons；　baiting　the
  birds　with　all　the　resources　of　his　kitchen；　such　as　it　was
  for　eight　slivers　（sixpence　English）　a　day；　and；　after　a
  month　of　unsuccessful　attempts；　he　at　last　caught　a　female
  bird。
  It　cost　him　two　more　months　to　catch　a　male　bird；　he　then
  shut　them　up　together；　and　having　about　the　beginning　of　the
  year　1673　obtained　some　eggs　from　them；　he　released　the
  female；　which；　leaving　the　male　behind　to　hatch　the　eggs　in
  her　stead；　flew　joyously　to　Dort；　with　the　note　under　her
  wing。
  She　returned　in　the　evening。　She　had　preserved　the　note。
  Thus　it　went　on　for　fifteen　days；　at　first　to　the
  disappointment；　and　then　to　the　great　grief；　of　Van　Baerle。
  On　the　sixteenth　day；　at　last；　she　came　back　without　it。
  Van　Baerle　had　addressed　it　to　his　nurse；　the　old　Frisian
  woman；　and　implored　any　charitable　soul　who　might　find　it　to
  convey　it　to　her　as　safely　and　as　speedily　as　possible。
  In　this　letter　there　was　a　little　note　enclosed　for　Rosa。
  Van　Baerle's　nurse　had　received　the　letter　in　the　following
  way。
  Leaving　Dort；　Mynheer　Isaac　Boxtel　had　abandoned；　not　only
  his　house；　his　servants；　his　observatory；　and　his　telescope；
  but　also　his　pigeons。
  The　servant；　having　been　left　without　wages；　first　lived　on
  his　little　savings；　and　then　on　his　master's　pigeons。
  Seeing　this；　the　pigeons　emigrated　from　the　roof　of　Isaac
  Boxtel　to　that　of　Cornelius　van　Baerle。
  The　nurse　was　a　kind…hearted　woman；　who　could　not　live
  without　something　to　love。　She　conceived　an　affection　for
  the　pigeons　which　had　thrown　themselves　on　her　hospitality；
  and　when　Boxtel's　servant　reclaimed　them　with　culinary
  intentions；　having　eaten　the　first　fifteen　already；　and　now
  wishing　to　eat　the　other　fifteen；　she　offered　to　buy　them
  from　him　for　a　consideration　of　six　stivers　per　head。
  This　being　just　double　their　value；　the　man　was　very　glad　to
  close　the　bargain；　and　the　nurse　found　herself　in　undisputed
  possession　of　the　pigeons　of　her　master's　envious　neighbour。
  In　the　course　of　their　wanderings；　these　pigeons　with　others
  visited　the　Hague；　Loewestein；　and　Rotterdam；　seeking
  variety；　doubtless；　in　the　flavour　of　their　wheat　or
  hempseed。
  Chance；　or　rather　God；　for　we　can　see　the　hand　of　God　in
  everything；　had　willed　that　Cornelius　van　Baerle　should
  happen　to　hit　upon　one　of　these　very　pigeons。
  Therefore；　if　the　envious　wretch　had　not　left　Dort　to　follow
  his　rival　to　the　Hague　in　the　first　place；　and　then　to
  Gorcum　or　to　Loewestein；　　for　the　two　places　are　separated
  only　by　the　confluence　of　the　Waal　and　the　Meuse；　　Van
  Baerle's　letter　would　have　fallen　into　his　hands　and　not　the
  nurse's：　in　which　event　the　poor　prisoner；　like　the　raven　of
  the　Roman　cobbler；　would　have　thrown　away　his　time；　his
  trouble；　and；　instead　of　having　to　relate　the　series　of
  exciting　events　which　are　about　to　flow　from　beneath　our　pen
  like　the　varied　hues　of　a　many　coloured　tapestry；　we　should
  have　naught　to　describe　but　a　weary　waste　of　days；　dull　and
  melancholy　and　gloomy　as　night's　dark　mantle。
  The　note；　as　we　have　said；　had　reached　Van　Baerle's　nurse。
  And　also　it　came　to　pass；　that　one　evening　in　the　beginning
  of　February；　just　when　the　stars　were　beginning　to　twinkle；
  Cornelius　heard　on　the　staircase　of　the　little　turret　a
  voice　which　thrilled　through　him。
  He　put　his　hand　on　his　heart；　and　listened。
  It　was　the　sweet　harmonious　voice　of　Rosa。
  Let　us　confess　it；　Cornelius　was　not　so　stupefied　with
  surprise；　or　so　beyond　himself　with　joy；　as　he　would　have
  been　but　for　the　pigeon；　which；　in　answer　to　his　letter；　had
  brought　back　hope　to　him　under　her　empty　wing；　and；　knowing
  Rosa；　he　expected；　if　the　note　had　ever　reached　her；　to　hear
  of　her　whom　he　loved；　and　also　of　his　three　darling　bulbs。
  He　rose；　listened　once　more；　and　bent　forward　towards　the
  door。
  Yes；　they　were　indeed　the　accents　which　had　fallen　so
  sweetly　on　his　heart　at　the　Hague。
  The　question　now　was；　whether　Rosa；　who　had　made　the　journey
  from　the　Hague　to　Loewestein；　and　who　　Cornelius　did　not
  understand　how　　had　succeeded　even　in　penetrating　into　the
  prison；　would　also　be　fortunate　enough　in　penetrating　to　the
  prisoner　himself。
  Whilst　Cornelius；　debating　this　point　within　himself；　was
  building　all　sorts　of　castles　in　the　air；　and　was　struggling
  between　hope　and　fear；　the　shutter　of　the　grating　in　the
  door　opened；　and　Rosa；　beaming　with　joy；　and　beautiful　in
  her　pretty　national　costume　　but　still　more　beautiful　from
  the　grief　which　for　the　last　five　months　had　blanched　her
  cheeks　　pressed　her　little　face　against　the　wire　grating
  of　the　window；　saying　to　him；
  〃Oh；　sir；　sir！　here　I　am！〃
  Cornelius　stretched　out　his　arms；　and；　looking　to　heaven；
  uttered　a　cry　of　joy；
  〃Oh；　Rosa；　Rosa！〃
  〃Hush！　let　us　speak　low：　my　father　follows　on　my　heels；〃
  said　the　girl。
  〃Your　father？〃
  〃Yes；　he　is　in　the　courtyard　at　the　bottom　of　the　staircase；
  receiving　the　instructions　of　the　Governor；　he　will
  presently　come　up。〃
  〃The　instructions　of　the　Governor？〃
  〃Listen　to　me；　I'll　try　to　tell　you　all　in　a　few　words。　The
  Stadtholder　has　a　country…house；　one　league　distant　from
  Leyden；　properly　speaking　a　kind　of　large　dairy；　and　my
  aunt；　who　was　his　nurse；　has　the　management　of　it。　As　soon
  as　I　received　your　letter；　which；　alas！　I　could　not　read
  myself；　but　which　your　housekeeper　read　to　me；　I　hastened　to
  my　aunt；　there　I　remained　until　the　Prince　should　come　to
  the　dairy；　and　when　he　came；　I　asked　him　as　a　favour　to
  allow　my　father　to　exchange　his　post　at　the　prison　of　the
  Hague　with　the　jailer　of　the　fortress　of　Loewestein。　The
  Prince　could　not　have　suspected　my　object；　had　he　known　it；
  he　would　have　refused　my　request；　but　as　it　is　he　granted
  it。〃
  〃And　so　you　are　here？〃
  〃As　you　see。〃
  〃And　thus　I　shall　see　you　every　day？〃
  〃As　often　as　I　can　manage　it。〃
  〃Oh；　Rosa；　my　beautiful　Rosa；　do　you　lo