blinded　him；　and　he　raised　in　his　two　hands　the　heavy　jug
  with　all　the　now　useless　earth　which　remained　in　it。　One
  instant　more；　and　he　would　have　flung　it　on　the　bald　head　of
  old　Gryphus。
  But　a　cry　stopped　him；　a　cry　of　agony；　uttered　by　poor　Rosa；
  who；　trembling　and　pale；　with　her　arms　raised　to　heaven；
  made　her　appearance　behind　the　grated　window；　and　thus
  interposed　between　her　father　and　her　friend。
  Gryphus　then　understood　the　danger　with　which　he　had　been
  threatened；　and　he　broke　out　in　a　volley　of　the　most
  terrible　abuse。
  〃Indeed；〃　said　Cornelius　to　him；　〃you　must　be　a　very　mean
  and　spiteful　fellow　to　rob　a　poor　prisoner　of　his　only
  consolation；　a　tulip　bulb。〃
  〃For　shame；　my　father；〃　Rosa　chimed　in；　〃it　is　indeed　a
  crime　you　have　committed　here。〃
  〃Ah；　is　that　you；　my　little　chatter…box？〃　the　old　man　cried；
  boiling　with　rage　and　turning　towards　her；　〃don't　you　meddle
  with　what　don't　concern　you；　but　go　down　as　quickly　as
  possible。〃
  〃Unfortunate　me；〃　continued　Cornelius；　overwhelmed　with
  grief。
  〃After　all；　it　is　but　a　tulip；〃　Gryphus　resumed；　as　he　began
  to　be　a　little　ashamed　of　himself。　〃You　may　have　as　many
  tulips　as　you　like：　I　have　three　hundred　of　them　in　my
  loft。〃
  〃To　the　devil　with　your　tulips！〃　cried　Cornelius；　〃you　are
  worthy　of　each　other：　had　I　a　hundred　thousand　millions　of
  them；　I　would　gladly　give　them　for　the　one　which　you　have
  just　destroyed。〃
  〃Oh；　so！〃　Gryphus　said；　in　a　tone　of　triumph；　〃now　there　we
  have　it。　It　was　not　your　tulip　you　cared　for。　There　was　in
  that　false　bulb　some　witchcraft；　perhaps　some　means　of
  correspondence　with　conspirators　against　his　Highness　who
  has　granted　you　your　life。　I　always　said　they　were　wrong　in
  not　cutting　your　head　off。〃
  〃Father；　father！〃　cried　Rosa。
  〃Yes；　yes！　it　is　better　as　it　is　now；〃　repeated　Gryphus；
  growing　warm；　〃I　have　destroyed　it；　and　I'll　do　the　same
  again；　as　often　as　you　repeat　the　trick。　Didn't　I　tell　you；
  my　fine　fellow；　that　I　would　make　your　life　a　hard　one？〃
  〃A　curse　on　you！〃　Cornelius　exclaimed；　quite　beyond　himself
  with　despair；　as　he　gathered；　with　his　trembling　fingers；
  the　remnants　of　that　bulb　on　which　he　had　rested　so　many
  joys　and　so　many　hopes。
  〃We　shall　plant　the　other　to…morrow；　my　dear　Mynheer
  Cornelius；〃　said　Rosa；　in　a　low　voice；　who　understood　the
  intense　grief　of　the　unfortunate　tulip…fancier；　and　who；
  with　the　pure　sacred　love　of　her　innocent　heart；　poured
  these　kind　words；　like　a　drop　of　balm；　on　the　bleeding
  wounds　of　Cornelius。
  Chapter　18
  Rosa's　Lover
  Rosa　had　scarcely　pronounced　these　consolatory　words　when　a
  voice　was　heard　from　the　staircase　asking　Gryphus　how
  matters　were　going　on。
  〃Do　you　hear；　father？〃　said　Rosa。
  〃What？〃
  〃Master　Jacob　calls　you；　he　is　uneasy。〃
  〃There　was　such　a　noise；〃　said　Gryphus；　〃wouldn't　you　have
  thought　he　would　murder　me；　this　doctor？　They　are　always
  very　troublesome　fellows；　these　scholars。〃
  Then；　pointing　with　his　finger　towards　the　staircase；　he
  said　to　Rosa：　〃Just　lead　the　way；　Miss。〃
  After　this　he　locked　the　door　and　called　out：　〃I　shall　be
  with　you　directly；　friend　Jacob。〃
  Poor　Cornelius；　thus　left　alone　with　his　bitter　grief；
  muttered　to　himself；
  〃Ah；　you　old　hangman！　it　is　me　you　have　trodden　under　foot；
  you　have　murdered　me；　I　shall　not　survive　it。〃
  And　certainly　the　unfortunate　prisoner　would　have　fallen　ill
  but　for　the　counterpoise　which　Providence　had　granted　to　his
  grief；　and　which　was　called　Rosa。
  In　the　evening　she　came　back。　Her　first　words　announced　to
  Cornelius　that　henceforth　her　father　would　make　no　objection
  to　his　cultivating　flowers。
  〃And　how　do　you　know　that？〃　the　prisoner　asked；　with　a
  doleful　look。
  〃I　know　it　because　he　has　said　so。〃
  〃To　deceive　me；　perhaps。〃
  〃No；　he　repents。〃
  〃Ah　yes！　but　too　late。〃
  〃This　repentance　is　not　of　himself。〃
  〃And　who　put　it　into　him？〃
  〃If　you　only　knew　how　his　friend　scolded　him！〃
  〃Ah；　Master　Jacob；　he　does　not　leave　you；　then；　that　Master
  Jacob？〃
  〃At　any　rate；　he　leaves　us　as　little　as　he　can　help。〃
  Saying　this；　she　smiled　in　such　a　way　that　the　little　cloud
  of　jealousy　which　had　darkened　the　brow　of　Cornelius
  speedily　vanished。
  〃How　was　it？〃　asked　the　prisoner。
  〃Well；　being　asked　by　his　friend；　my　father　told　at　supper
  the　whole　story　of　the　tulip；　or　rather　of　the　bulb；　and　of
  his　own　fine　exploit　of　crushing　it。〃
  Cornelius　heaved　a　sigh；　which　might　have　been　called　a
  groan。
  〃Had　you　only　seen　Master　Jacob　at　that　moment！〃　continued
  Rosa。　〃I　really　thought　he　would　set　fire　to　the　castle；　his
  eyes　were　like　two　flaming　torches；　his　hair　stood　on　end；
  and　he　clinched　his　fist　for　a　moment；　I　thought　he　would
  have　strangled　my　father。〃
  〃'You　have　done　that；'　he　cried；　'you　have　crushed　the
  bulb？'
  〃'Indeed　I　have。'
  〃'It　is　infamous；'　said　Master　Jacob；　'it　is　odious！　You
  have　committed　a　great　crime！'
  〃My　father　was　quite　dumbfounded。
  〃'Are　you　mad；　too？'　he　asked　his　friend。〃
  〃Oh；　what　a　worthy　man　is　this　Master　Jacob！〃　muttered
  Cornelius；　　〃an　honest　soul；　an　excellent　heart　that　he
  is。〃
  〃The　truth　is；　that　it　is　impossible　to　treat　a　man　more
  rudely　than　he　did　my　father；　he　was　really　quite　in
  despair；　repeating　over　and　over　again；
  〃'Crushed；　crushed　the　bulb！　my　God；　my　God！　crushed！'
  〃Then；　turning　toward　me；　he　asked；　'But　it　was　not　the　only
  one　that　he　had？'〃
  〃Did　he　ask　that？〃　inquired　Cornelius；　with　some　anxiety。
  〃'You　think　it　was　not　the　only　one？'　said　my　father。　'Very
  well；　we　shall　search　for　the　others。'
  〃'You　will　search　for　the　others？'　cried　Jacob；　taking　my
  father　by　the　collar；　but　he　immediately　loosed　him。　Then；
  turning　towards　me；　he　continued；　asking　'And　what　did　that
  poor　young　man　say？'
  〃I　did　not　know　what　to　answer；　as　you　had　so　strictly
  enjoined　me　never　to　allow　any　one　to　guess　the　interest
  which　you　are　taking　in　the　bulb。　Fortunately；　my　father
  saved　me　from　the　difficulty　by　chiming　in；
  〃'What　did　he　say？　Didn't　he　fume　and　fret？'
  〃I　interrupted　him；　saying；　'Was　it　not　natural　that　be
  should　be　furious；　you　were　so　unjust　and　brutal；　father？'
  〃'Well；　now；　are　you　mad？'　cried　my　father；　'what　immense
  misfortune　is　it　to　crush　a　tulip　bulb？　You　may　buy　a
  hundred　of　them　in　the　market　of　Gorcum。'
  〃'Perhaps　some　less　precious　one　than　that　was！'　I　quite
  incautiously　replied。〃
  〃And　what　did　Jacob　say　or　do　at　these　words？〃　asked
  Cornelius。
  〃At　these　words；　if　I　must　say　it；　his　eyes　seemed　to　flash
  like　lightning。〃
  〃But；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃that　was　not　all；　I　am　sure　he　said
  something　in　his　turn。〃
  〃'So；　then；　my　pretty　Rosa；'　he　said；　with　a　voice　as　sweet
  a　honey；　　'so　you　think　that　bulb　to　have　been　a　precious
  one？'
  〃I　saw　that　I　had　made　a　blunder。
  〃'What　do　I　know？'　I　said；　negligently；　'do　I　understand
  anything　of　tulips？　I　only　know　　as　unfortunately　it　is
  our　lot　to　live　with　prisoners　　that　for　them　any　pastime
  is　of　value。　This　poor　Mynheer　van　Baerle　amused　himself
  with　this　bulb。　Well；　I　think　it　very　cruel　to　take　from　him
  the　only　thing　that　he　could　have　amused　himself　with。'
  〃'But；　first　of　all；'　said　my　father；　'we　ought　to　know　how
  he　has　contrived　to　procure　this　bulb。'
  〃I　turned　my　eyes　away　to　avoid　my　father's　look；　but　I　met
  those　of　Jacob。
  〃It　was　as　if　he　had　tried　to　read　my　thoughts　at　the　bottom
  of　my　heart。
  〃Some　little　show　of　anger　sometimes　saves　an　answer。　I
  shrugged　my　shoulders；　turned　my　back；　and　advanced　towards
  the　door。
  〃But　I　was　kept　by　something　which　I　heard；　although　it　was
  uttered　in　a　very　low　voice　only。
  〃Jacob　said　to　my　father；
  〃'It　would　not　be　so　difficult　to　ascertain　that。'
  〃'How　so？'
  〃'You　need　only　search　his　person：　and　if　he　has　the　other
  bulbs；　we　shall　find　them；　as　there　usually　are　three
  suckers！'〃
  〃Three　suckers！〃　cried　Cornelius。　〃Did　you　say　that　I　have
  three？〃
  〃The　word　certainly　struck　me　just　as　much　as　it　does　you。　I
  turned　round。　They　were　both　of　them　so　deeply　engaged　in
  their　conversation　that　they　did　not　observe　my　movement。
  〃'But；'　said　my　father；　'perhaps　he　has　not　got　his　bulbs
  about　him？'
  〃'Then　take　him　down；　under　some　pretext　or　other　and　I　will
  search　his　cell　in　the　meanwhile。'〃
  〃Halloa；　halloa！〃　said　Cornelius。　〃But　this　Mr。　Jacob　of
  yours　is　a　villain；　it　seems。〃
  〃I　am　afraid　he　is。〃
  〃Tell　me；　Rosa；〃　continued　Cornelius；　with　a　pensive　air。
  〃What？〃
  〃Did　you　not　tell　me　that　on　the　day　when　you　prepared　your
  borders　this　man　followed　you？〃
  〃So　he　did。〃
  〃That　he　glided　like　a　shadow　behind　the　elder　trees？〃
  〃Certainly。〃
  〃That　not　one　of　your　movements　escaped　him？〃
  〃Not　one；　indeed。〃
  〃Rosa；〃　said　Cornelius；　growing　quite　pale。
  〃Well？〃
  〃It　was　not　you　he　was　after。〃
  〃Who　else；　then？〃
  〃It　is　not　you　that　he　was　in　love　with！〃
  〃But　with　whom　else？〃
  〃He　was　after　my　bulb；　and　is　in　love　with　my　tulip！〃
  〃You　don't　say　so！　And　yet　it　is　very　possible；〃　said　Ro