Черный тюльпан
Cornelius van Baerle’s Will
Cornelius,withoutshowinganyweakness,butlikewisewithoutanybravado,receivedthemratherasfriendsthanaspersecutors,andquietlysubmittedtoallthosepreparationswhichthesemenwereobligedtomakeinperformanceoftheirduty.
Then,castingaglanceintotheyardthroughthenarrowiron-barredwindowofhiscell,heperceivedthescaffold,and,attwentypacesdistantfromit,thegibbet,fromwhich,byorderoftheStadtholder,theoutragedremainsofthetwobrothersDeWitthadbeentakendown.
Whenthemomentcametodescendinordertofollowtheguards,CorneliussoughtwithhiseyestheangeliclookofRosa,buthesaw,behindtheswordsandhalberds,onlyaformlyingoutstretchednearawoodenbench,andadeathlikefacehalfcoveredwithlonggoldenlocks.
ButRosa,whilstfallingdownsenseless,stillobeyingherfriend,hadpressedherhandonhervelvetbodiceand,forgettingeverythingintheworldbesides,instinctivelygraspedthepreciousdepositwhichCorneliushadintrustedtohercare.
Leavingthecell,theyoungmancouldstillseeintheconvulsivelyclinchedfingersofRosatheyellowishleaffromthatBibleonwhichCorneliusdeWitthadwithsuchdifficultyandpainwrittenthesefewlines,which,ifVanBaerlehadreadthem,wouldundoubtedlyhavebeenthesavingofamanandatulip.
