Черный тюльпан
The First Bulb
Henevercameatthesamehoursashehopedthustodiscoverthesecretsoftheprisoner.VanBaerle,therefore,haddevisedacontrivance,asortofpulley,bymeansofwhichhewasabletolowerortoraisehisjugbelowtheledgeoftilesandstonebeforehiswindow.Thestringsbywhichthiswaseffectedhehadfoundmeanstocoverwiththatmosswhichgenerallygrowsontiles,orinthecranniesofthewalls.
Gryphussuspectednothing,andthedevicesucceededforeightdays.Onemorning,however,whenCornelius,absorbedinthecontemplationofhisbulb,fromwhichagermofvegetationwasalreadypeepingforth,hadnotheardoldGryphuscomingupstairsasagaleofwindwasblowingwhichshookthewholetower,thedoorsuddenlyopened.
Gryphus,perceivinganunknownandconsequentlyaforbiddenobjectinthehandsofhisprisoner,pounceduponitwiththesamerapidityasthehawkonitsprey.
Asillluckwouldhaveit,hiscoarse,hardhand,thesamewhichhehadbroken,andwhichCorneliusvanBaerlehadsetsowell,graspedatonceinthemidstofthejug,onthespotwherethebulbwaslyinginthesoil.
“Whathaveyougothere?”heroared.“Ah!haveIcaughtyou?”andwiththishegrabbedinthesoil.
“I?nothing,nothing,”criedCornelius,trembling.
“Ah!haveIcaughtyou?ajugandearthinitThereissomecriminalsecretatthebottomofallthis.”
“Oh,mygoodMasterGryphus,”saidVanBaerle,imploringly,andanxiousasthepartridgerobbedofheryoungbythereaper.
Infact,Gryphuswasbeginningtodigthesoilwithhiscrookedfingers.
