of　the　lobby；　the　clock　struck　nine；　and　a　quarter；　the
  half…hour；　then　a　quarter　to　ten；　and　at　last　its　deep　tone
  announced；　not　only　to　the　inmates　of　the　fortress；　but　also
  to　all　the　inhabitants　of　Loewestein；　that　it　was　ten。
  This　was　the　hour　at　which　Rosa　generally　used　to　leave
  Cornelius。　The　hour　had　struck；　but　Rosa　had　not　come。
  Thus　then　his　foreboding　had　not　deceived　him；　Rosa；　being
  vexed；　shut　herself　up　in　her　room　and　left　him　to　himself。
  〃Alas！〃　he　thought；　〃I　have　deserved　all　this。　She　will　come
  no　more；　and　she　is　right　in　staying　away；　in　her　place　I
  should　do　just　the　same。〃
  Yet　notwithstanding　all　this；　Cornelius　listened；　waited；
  and　hoped　until　midnight；　then　he　threw　himself　upon　the
  bed；　with　his　clothes　on。
  It　was　a　long　and　sad　night　for　him；　and　the　day　brought　no
  hope　to　the　prisoner。
  At　eight　in　the　morning；　the　door　of　his　cell　opened；　but
  Cornelius　did　not　even　turn　his　head；　he　had　heard　the　heavy
  step　of　Gryphus　in　the　lobby；　but　this　step　had　perfectly
  satisfied　the　prisoner　that　his　jailer　was　coming　alone。
  Thus　Cornelius　did　not　even　look　at　Gryphus。
  And　yet　he　would　have　been　so　glad　to　draw　him　out；　and　to
  inquire　about　Rosa。　He　even　very　nearly　made　this　inquiry；
  strange　as　it　would　needs　have　appeared　to　her　father。　To
  tell　the　truth；　there　was　in　all　this　some　selfish　hope　to
  hear　from　Gryphus　that　his　daughter　was　ill。
  Except　on　extraordinary　occasions；　Rosa　never　came　during
  the　day。　Cornelius　therefore　did　not　really　expect　her　as
  long　as　the　day　lasted。　Yet　his　sudden　starts；　his　listening
  at　the　door；　his　rapid　glances　at　every　little　noise　towards
  the　grated　window；　showed　clearly　that　the　prisoner
  entertained　some　latent　hope　that　Rosa　would；　somehow　or
  other；　break　her　rule。
  At　the　second　visit　of　Gryphus；　Cornelius；　contrary　to　all
  his　former　habits；　asked　the　old　jailer；　with　the　most
  winning　voice；　about　her　health；　but　Gryphus　contented
  himself　with　giving　the　laconical　answer；
  〃All's　well。〃
  At　the　third　visit　of　the　day；　Cornelius　changed　his　former
  inquiry：
  〃I　hope　nobody　is　ill　at　Loewestein？〃
  〃Nobody；〃　replied；　even　more　laconically；　the　jailer；
  shutting　the　door　before　the　nose　of　the　prisoner。
  Gryphus；　being　little　used　to　this　sort　of　civility　on　the
  part　of　Cornelius；　began　to　suspect　that　his　prisoner　was
  about　to　try　and　bribe　him。
  Cornelius　was　now　alone　once　more；　it　was　seven　o'clock　in
  the　evening；　and　the　anxiety　of　yesterday　returned　with
  increased　intensity。
  But　another　time　the　hours　passed　away　without　bringing　the
  sweet　vision　which　lighted　up；　through　the　grated　window；
  the　cell　of　poor　Cornelius；　and　which；　in　retiring；　left
  light　enough　in　his　heart　to　last　until　it　came　back　again。
  Van　Baerle　passed　the　night　in　an　agony　of　despair。　On　the
  following　day　Gryphus　appeared　to　him　even　more　hideous；
  brutal；　and　hateful　than　usual；　in　his　mind；　or　rather　in
  his　heart；　there　had　been　some　hope　that　it　was　the　old　man
  who　prevented　his　daughter　from　coming。
  In　his　wrath　he　would　have　strangled　Gryphus；　but　would　not
  this　have　separated　him　for　ever　from　Rosa？
  The　evening　closing　in；　his　despair　changed　into　melancholy；
  which　was　the　more　gloomy　as；　involuntarily；　Van　Baerle
  mixed　up　with　it　the　thought　of　his　poor　tulip。　It　was　now
  just　that　week　in　April　which　the　most　experienced　gardeners
  point　out　as　the　precise　time　when　tulips　ought　to　be
  planted。　He　had　said　to　Rosa；
  〃I　shall　tell　you　the　day　when　you　are　to　put　the　bulb　in
  the　ground。〃
  He　had　intended　to　fix；　at　the　vainly　hoped　for　interview；
  the　following　day　as　the　time　for　that　momentous　operation。
  The　weather　was　propitious；　the　air；　though　still　damp；
  began　to　be　tempered　by　those　pale　rays　of　the　April　sun
  which；　being　the　first；　appear　so　congenial；　although　so
  pale。　How　if　Rosa　allowed　the　right　moment　for　planting　the
  bulb　to　pass　by；　　if；　in　addition　to　the　grief　of　seeing
  her　no　more；　he　should　have　to　deplore　the　misfortune　of
  seeing　his　tulip　fail　on　account　of　its　having　been　planted
  too　late；　or　of　its　not　having　been　planted　at　all！
  These　two　vexations　combined　might　well　make　him　leave　off
  eating　and　drinking。
  This　was　the　case　on　the　fourth　day。
  It　was　pitiful　to　see　Cornelius；　dumb　with　grief；　and　pale
  from　utter　prostration；　stretch　out　his　head　through　the
  iron　bars　of　his　window；　at　the　risk　of　not　being　able　to
  draw　it　back　again；　to　try　and　get　a　glimpse　of　the　garden
  on　the　left　spoken　of　by　Rosa；　who　had　told　him　that　its
  parapet　overlooked　the　river。　He　hoped　that　perhaps　he　might
  see；　in　the　light　of　the　April　sun；　Rosa　or　the　tulip；　the
  two　lost　objects　of　his　love。
  In　the　evening；　Gryphus　took　away　the　breakfast　and　dinner
  of　Cornelius；　who　had　scarcely　touched　them。
  On　the　following　day　he　did　not　touch　them　at　all；　and
  Gryphus　carried　the　dishes　away　just　as　he　had　brought　them。
  Cornelius　had　remained　in　bed　the　whole　day。
  〃Well；〃　said　Gryphus；　coming　down　from　the　last　visit；　〃I
  think　we　shall　soon　get　rid　of　our　scholar。〃
  Rosa　was　startled。
  〃Nonsense！〃　said　Jacob。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
  〃He　doesn't　drink；　he　doesn't　eat；　he　doesn't　leave　his　bed。
  He　will　get　out　of　it；　like　Mynheer　Grotius；　in　a　chest；
  only　the　chest　will　be　a　coffin。〃
  Rosa　grew　pale　as　death。
  〃Ah！〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃he　is　uneasy　about　his　tulip。〃
  And；　rising　with　a　heavy　heart；　she　returned　to　her　chamber；
  where　she　took　a　pen　and　paper；　and　during　the　whole　of　that
  night　busied　herself　with　tracing　letters。
  On　the　following　morning；　when　Cornelius　got　up　to　drag
  himself　to　the　window；　he　perceived　a　paper　which　had　been
  slipped　under　the　door。
  He　pounced　upon　it；　opened　it；　and　read　the　following　words；
  in　a　handwriting　which　he　could　scarcely　have　recognized　as
  that　of　Rosa；　so　much　had　she　improved　during　her　short
  absence　of　seven　days；
  〃Be　easy；　your　tulip　is　going　on　well。〃
  Although　these　few　words　of　Rosa's　somewhat　soothed　the
  grief　of　Cornelius；　yet　he　felt　not　the　less　the　irony　which
  was　at　the　bottom　of　them。　Rosa；　then；　was　not　ill；　she　was
  offended；　she　had　not　been　forcibly　prevented　from　coming；
  but　had　voluntarily　stayed　away。　Thus　Rosa；　being　at
  liberty；　found　in　her　own　will　the　force　not　to　come　and　see
  him；　who　was　dying　with　grief　at　not　having　seen　her。
  Cornelius　had　paper　and　a　pencil　which　Rosa　had　brought　to
  him。　He　guessed　that　she　expected　an　answer；　but　that　she
  would　not　come　before　the　evening　to　fetch　it。　He　therefore
  wrote　on　a　piece　of　paper；　similar　to　that　which　he　had
  received；
  〃It　was　not　my　anxiety　about　the　tulip　that　has　made　me　ill；
  but　the　grief　at　not　seeing　you。〃
  After　Gryphus　had　made　his　last　visit　of　the　day；　and
  darkness　had　set　in；　he　slipped　the　paper　under　the　door；
  and　listened　with　the　most　intense　attention；　but　he　neither
  heard　Rosa's　footsteps　nor　the　rustling　of　her　gown。
  He　only　heard　a　voice　as　feeble　as　a　breath；　and　gentle　like
  a　caress；　which　whispered　through　the　grated　little　window
  in　the　door　the　word；
  〃To…morrow！〃
  Now　to…morrow　was　the　eighth　day。　For　eight　days　Cornelius
  and　Rosa　had　not　seen　each　other。
  Chapter　20
  The　Events　which　took　place　during　those　Eight　Days
  On　the　following　evening；　at　the　usual　hour；　Van　Baerle
  heard　some　one　scratch　at　the　grated　little　window；　just　as
  Rosa　had　been　in　the　habit　of　doing　in　the　heyday　of　their
  friendship。
  Cornelius　being；　as　may　easily　be　imagined；　not　far　off　from
  the　door；　perceived　Rosa；　who　at　last　was　waiting　again　for
  him　with　her　lamp　in　her　hand。
  Seeing　him　so　sad　and　pale；　she　was　startled；　and　said；
  〃You　are　ill；　Mynheer　Cornelius？〃
  〃Yes；　I　am；〃　he　answered；　as　indeed　he　was　suffering　in　mind
  and　in　body。
  〃I　saw　that　you　did　not　eat；〃　said　Rosa；　〃my　father　told　me
  that　you　remained　in　bed　all　day。　I　then　wrote　to　calm　your
  uneasiness　concerning　the　fate　of　the　most　precious　object
  of　your　anxiety。〃
  〃And　I；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃I　have　answered。　Seeing　your
  return；　my　dear　Rosa；　I　thought　you　had　received　my　letter。〃
  〃It　is　true；　I　have　received　it。〃
  〃You　cannot　this　time　excuse　yourself　with　not　being　able　to
  read。　Not　only　do　you　read　very　fluently；　but　also　you　have
  made　marvellous　progress　in　writing。〃
  〃Indeed；　I　have　not　only　received；　but　also　read　your　note。
  Accordingly　I　am　come　to　see　whether　there　might　not　be　some
  remedy　to　restore　you　to　health。〃
  〃Restore　me　to　health？〃　cried　Cornelius；　〃but　have　you　any
  good　news　to　communicate　to　me？〃
  Saying　this；　the　poor　prisoner　looked　at　Rosa；　his　eyes
  sparkling　with　hope。
  Whether　she　did　not；　or　would　not；　understand　this　look；
  Rosa　answered　gravely；
  〃I　have　only　to　speak　to　you　about　your　tulip；　which；　as　I
  well　know；　is　the　object　uppermost　in　your　mind。〃
  Rosa　pronounced　those　few　words　in　a　freezing　tone；　which
  cut　deeply　into　the　heart　of　Cornelius。　He　did　not　suspect
  what　lay　hidden　under　this　appearance　of　indifference　with
  which　the　poor　girl　affect