Черный тюльпан
Master and Pupil
Inorder,however,toengageVanBaerleinaconversationfromtheveryfirstwhichwouldseriouslyoccupyhisattention,shetenderedtohimthroughthegratingthethreebulbs,whichwerestillwrappedupinthesamepaper.
ButtothegreatastonishmentofRosa,VanBaerlepushedbackherwhitehandwiththetipsofhisfingers.
Theyoungmanhadbeenconsideringaboutthematter.
“Listentome,”hesaid.“Ithinkweshouldrisktoomuchbyembarkingourwholefortuneinoneship.Onlythink,mydearRosa,thatthequestionistocarryoutanenterprisewhichuntilnowhasbeenconsideredimpossible,namely,thatofmakingthegreatblacktulipflower.Letus,therefore,takeeverypossibleprecaution,sothatincaseofafailurewemaynothaveanythingtoreproachourselveswith.IwillnowtellyouthewayIhavetracedoutforus.”
Rosawasallattentiontowhathewouldsay,muchmoreonaccountoftheimportancewhichtheunfortunatetulip-fancierattachedtoit,thanthatshefeltinterestedinthematterherself.
“Iwillexplaintoyou,Rosa,”hesaid.“Idaresayyouhaveinthisfortressasmallgarden,orsomecourtyard,or,ifnotthat,atleastsometerrace.”
“Wehaveaveryfinegarden,”saidRosa,“itrunsalongtheedgeoftheWaal,andisfulloffineoldtrees.”
“Couldyoubringmesomesoilfromthegarden,thatImayjudge?”
“Iwilldosoto-morrow.”
“Takesomefromasunnyspot,andsomefromashady,sothatImayjudgeofitspropertiesinadryandinamoiststate.”
“BeassuredIshall.
