Черный тюльпан
The Pigeons of Dort
VanBaerlehadaddressedittohisnurse,theoldFrisianwoman;andimploredanycharitablesoulwhomightfindittoconveyittoherassafelyandasspeedilyaspossible.
InthislettertherewasalittlenoteenclosedforRosa.
VanBaerle’snursehadreceivedtheletterinthefollowingway.
LeavingDort,MynheerIsaacBoxtelhadabandoned,notonlyhishouse,hisservants,hisobservatory,andhistelescope,butalsohispigeons.
Theservant,havingbeenleftwithoutwages,firstlivedonhislittlesavings,andthenonhismaster’spigeons.
Seeingthis,thepigeonsemigratedfromtheroofofIsaacBoxteltothatofCorneliusvanBaerle.
Thenursewasakind-heartedwoman,whocouldnotlivewithoutsomethingtolove.Sheconceivedanaffectionforthepigeonswhichhadthrownthemselvesonherhospitality;andwhenBoxtel’sservantreclaimedthemwithculinaryintentions,havingeatenthefirstfifteenalready,andnowwishingtoeattheotherfifteen,sheofferedtobuythemfromhimforaconsiderationofsixstiversperhead.
Thisbeingjustdoubletheirvalue,themanwasverygladtoclosethebargain,andthenursefoundherselfinundisputedpossessionofthepigeonsofhermaster’senviousneighbour.
Inthecourseoftheirwanderings,thesepigeonswithothersvisitedtheHague,Loewestein,andRotterdam,seekingvariety,doubtless,intheflavouroftheirwheatorhempseed.
Chance,orratherGod,forwecanseethehandofGodineverything,hadwilledthatCorneliusvanBaerleshouldhappentohitupononeoftheseverypigeons.
