unfortunate　as　myself；　for　they　will　not　see　the　solemnity
  which　they　have　come　to　witness；　or　at　least　they　will　see
  it　incompletely。〃
  〃What　is　it　you　mean　to　say？〃
  〃I　mean　to　say。〃　replied　Cornelius；　throwing　himself　back　in
  the　carriage；　〃that　the　black　tulip　will　not　be　found；
  except　by　one　whom　I　know。〃
  〃In　this　case；〃　said　the　officer；　〃the　person　whom　you　know
  has　found　it；　for　the　thing　which　the　whole　of　Haarlem　is
  looking　at　at　this　moment　is　neither　more　nor　less　than　the
  black　tulip。〃
  〃The　black　tulip！〃　replied　Van　Baerle；　thrusting　half　his
  body　out　of　the　carriage　window。　〃Where　is　it？　where　is　it？〃
  〃Down　there　on　the　throne；　　don't　you　see？〃
  〃I　do　see　it。〃
  〃Come　along；　sir；〃　said　the　officer。　〃Now　we　must　drive
  off。〃
  〃Oh；　have　pity；　have　mercy；　sir！〃　said　Van　Baerle；　〃don't
  take　me　away！　Let　me　look　once　more！　Is　what　I　see　down
  there　the　black　tulip？　Quite　black？　Is　it　possible？　Oh；　sir；
  have　you　seen　it？　It　must　have　specks；　it　must　be　imperfect；
  it　must　only　be　dyed　black。　Ah！　if　I　were　there；　I　should
  see　it　at　once。　Let　me　alight；　let　me　see　it　close；　I　beg　of
  you。〃
  〃Are　you　mad；　Sir？　How　could　I　allow　such　a　thing？〃
  〃I　implore　you。〃
  〃But　you　forget　that　you　are　a　prisoner。〃
  〃It　is　true　I　am　a　prisoner；　but　I　am　a　man　of　honour；　and　I
  promise　you　on　my　word　that　I　will　not　run　away；　I　will　not
  attempt　to　escape；　　only　let　me　see　the　flower。〃
  〃But　my　orders；　Sir；　my　orders。〃　And　the　officer　again　made
  the　driver　a　sign　to　proceed。
  Cornelius　stopped　him　once　more。
  〃Oh；　be　forbearing；　be　generous！　my　whole　life　depends　upon
  your　pity。　Alas！　perhaps　it　will　not　be　much　longer。　You
  don't　know；　sir；　what　I　suffer。　You　don't　know　the　struggle
  going　on　in　my　heart　and　mind。　For　after　all；〃　Cornelius
  cried　in　despair；　〃if　this　were　my　tulip；　if　it　were　the　one
  which　has　been　stolen　from　Rosa！　Oh；　I　must　alight；　sir！　I
  must　see　the　flower！　You　may　kill　me　afterwards　if　you　like；
  but　I　will　see　it；　I　must　see　it。〃
  〃Be　quiet；　unfortunate　man；　and　come　quickly　back　into　the
  carriage；　for　here　is　the　escort　of　his　Highness　the
  Stadtholder；　and　if　the　Prince　observed　any　disturbance；　or
  heard　any　noise；　it　would　be　ruin　to　me；　as　well　as　to　you。〃
  Van　Baerle；　more　afraid　for　his　companion　than　himself；
  threw　himself　back　into　the　carriage；　but　he　could　only　keep
  quiet　for　half　a　minute；　and　the　first　twenty　horsemen　had
  scarcely　passed　when　he　again　leaned　out　of　the　carriage
  window；　gesticulating　imploringly　towards　the　Stadtholder　at
  the　very　moment　when　he　passed。
  William；　impassible　and　quiet　as　usual；　was　proceeding　to
  the　green　to　fulfil　his　duty　as　chairman。　He　held　in　his
  hand　the　roll　of　parchment；　which；　on　this　festive　day；　had
  become　his　baton。
  Seeing　the　man　gesticulate　with　imploring　mien；　and　perhaps
  also　recognising　the　officer　who　accompanied　him；　his
  Highness　ordered　his　carriage　to　stop。
  In　an　instant　his　snorting　steeds　stood　still；　at　a　distance
  of　about　six　yards　from　the　carriage　in　which　Van　Baerle　was
  caged。
  〃What　is　this？〃　the　Prince　asked　the　officer；　who　at　the
  first　order　of　the　Stadtholder　had　jumped　out　of　the
  carriage；　and　was　respectfully　approaching　him。
  〃Monseigneur；〃　he　cried；　〃this　is　the　prisoner　of　state　whom
  I　have　fetched　from　Loewestein；　and　whom　I　have　brought　to
  Haarlem　according　to　your　Highness's　command。〃
  〃What　does　he　want？〃
  〃He　entreats　for　permission　to　stop　here　for　minute。〃
  〃To　see　the　black　tulip；　Monseigneur；〃　said　Van　Baerle；
  clasping　his　hands；　〃and　when　I　have　seen　it；　when　I　have
  seen　what　I　desire　to　know；　I　am　quite　ready　to　die；　if　die
  I　must；　but　in　dying　I　shall　bless　your　Highness's　mercy　for
  having　allowed　me　to　witness　the　glorification　of　my　work。〃
  It　was；　indeed；　a　curious　spectacle　to　see　these　two　men　at
  the　windows　of　their　several　carriages；　the　one　surrounded
  by　his　guards；　and　all　powerful；　the　other　a　prisoner　and
  miserable；　the　one　going　to　mount　a　throne；　the　other
  believing　himself　to　be　on　his　way　to　the　scaffold。
  William；　looking　with　his　cold　glance　on　Cornelius；　listened
  to　his　anxious　and　urgent　request。
  Then　addressing　himself　to　the　officer；　he　said；
  〃Is　this　person　the　mutinous　prisoner　who　has　attempted　to
  kill　his　jailer　at　Loewestein？〃
  Cornelius　heaved　a　sigh　and　hung　his　head。　His　good…tempered
  honest　face　turned　pale　and　red　at　the　same　instant。　These
  words　of　the　all…powerful　Prince；　who　by　some　secret
  messenger　unavailable　to　other　mortals　had　already　been
  apprised　of　his　crime；　seemed　to　him　to　forebode　not　only
  his　doom；　but　also　the　refusal　of　his　last　request。
  He　did　not　try　to　make　a　struggle；　or　to　defend　himself；　and
  he　presented　to　the　Prince　the　affecting　spectacle　of
  despairing　innocence；　like　that　of　a　child；　　a　spectacle
  which　was　fully　understood　and　felt　by　the　great　mind　and
  the　great　heart　of　him　who　observed　it。
  〃Allow　the　prisoner　to　alight；　and　let　him　see　the　black
  tulip；　it　is　well　worth　being　seen　once。〃
  〃Thank　you；　Monseigneur；　thank　you；〃　said　Cornelius；　nearly
  swooning　with　joy；　and　staggering　on　the　steps　of　his
  carriage；　had　not　the　officer　supported　him；　our　poor　friend
  would　have　made　his　thanks　to　his　Highness　prostrate　on　his
  knees　with　his　forehead　in　the　dust。
  After　having　granted　this　permission；　the　Prince　proceeded
  on　his　way　over　the　green　amidst　the　most　enthusiastic
  acclamations。
  He　soon　arrived　at　the　platform；　and　the　thunder　of　cannon
  shook　the　air。
  Chapter　33
  Conclusion
  Van　Baerle；　led　by　four　guards；　who　pushed　their　way　through
  the　crowd；　sidled　up　to　the　black　tulip；　towards　which　his
  gaze　was　attracted　with　increasing　interest　the　nearer　he
  approached　to　it。
  He　saw　it　at　last；　that　unique　flower；　which　he　was　to　see
  once　and　no　more。　He　saw　it　at　the　distance　of　six　paces；
  and　was　delighted　with　its　perfection　and　gracefulness；　he
  saw　it　surrounded　by　young　and　beautiful　girls；　who　formed；
  as　it　were；　a　guard　of　honour　for　this　queen　of　excellence
  and　purity。　And　yet；　the　more　he　ascertained　with　his　own
  eyes　the　perfection　of　the　flower；　the　more　wretched　and
  miserable　he　felt。　He　looked　all　around　for　some　one　to　whom
  he　might　address　only　one　question；　but　his　eyes　everywhere
  met　strange　faces；　and　the　attention　of　all　was　directed
  towards　the　chair　of　state；　on　which　the　Stadtholder　had
  seated　himself。
  William　rose；　casting　a　tranquil　glance　over　the
  enthusiastic　crowd；　and　his　keen　eyes　rested　by　turns　on　the
  three　extremities　of　a　triangle　formed　opposite　to　him　by
  three　persons　of　very　different　interests　and　feelings。
  At　one　of　the　angles；　Boxtel；　trembling　with　impatience；　and
  quite　absorbed　in　watching　the　Prince；　the　guilders；　the
  black　tulip；　and　the　crowd。
  At　the　other；　Cornelius；　panting　for　breath；　silent；　and　his
  attention；　his　eyes；　his　life；　his　heart；　his　love；　quite
  concentrated　on　the　black　tulip。
  And　thirdly；　standing　on　a　raised　step　among　the　maidens　of
  Haarlem；　a　beautiful　Frisian　girl；　dressed　in　fine　scarlet
  woollen　cloth；　embroidered　with　silver；　and　covered　with　a
  lace　veil；　which　fell　in　rich　folds　from　her　head…dress　of
  gold　brocade；　in　one　word；　Rosa；　who；　faint　and　with
  swimming　eyes；　was　leaning　on　the　arm　of　one　of　the　officers
  of　William。
  The　Prince　then　slowly　unfolded　the　parchment；　and　said；
  with　a　calm　clear　voice；　which；　although　low；　made　itself
  perfectly　heard　amidst　the　respectful　silence；　which　all　at
  once　arrested　the　breath　of　fifty　thousand　spectators。
  〃You　know　what　has　brought　us　here？
  〃A　prize　of　one　hundred　thousand　guilders　has　been　promised
  to　whosoever　should　grow　the　black　tulip。
  〃The　black　tulip　has　been　grown；　here　it　is　before　your
  eyes；　coming　up　to　all　the　conditions　required　by　the
  programme　of　the　Horticultural　Society　of　Haarlem。
  〃The　history　of　its　production；　and　the　name　of　its　grower；
  will　be　inscribed　in　the　book　of　honour　of　the　city。
  〃Let　the　person　approach　to　whom　the　black　tulip　belongs。〃
  In　pronouncing　these　words；　the　Prince；　to　judge　of　the
  effect　they　produced；　surveyed　with　his　eagle　eye　the　three
  extremities　of　the　triangle。
  He　saw　Boxtel　rushing　forward。　He　saw　Cornelius　make　an
  involuntary　movement；　and　lastly　he　saw　the　officer　who　was
  taking　care　of　Rosa　lead；　or　rather　push　her　forward　towards
  him。
  At　the　sight　of　Rosa；　a　double　cry　arose　on　the　right　and
  left　of　the　Prince。
  Boxtel；　thunderstruck；　and　Cornelius；　in　joyful　amazement；
  both　exclaimed；
  〃Rosa！　Rosa！〃
  〃This　tulip　is　yours；　is　it　not；　my　child？〃　said　the　Prince。
  〃Yes；　Monseigneur；〃　stammered　Rosa；　whose　striking　beauty
  excited　a　general　murmur　of　applause。
  〃Oh！〃　muttered　Cornelius；　〃she　has　then　belied　me；　when　she
  said　this　flower　was　stolen　from　her。　Oh！　that's　why　she
  left　Loewestein。　Alas！　am　I　then　forgotten；　betrayed　by　her
  whom　I　thought　my　best　friend　on　earth？〃
  〃Oh！〃　sighed　Boxtel；　〃I　am　lost。〃
  〃This　tulip；〃　continued　the　Prince；　〃will　therefore　bear　the
  name　of　its　producer；