Черный тюльпан
The Maid and the Flower
OnthefollowingdayGryphusappearedtohimevenmorehideous,brutal,andhatefulthanusual;inhismind,orratherinhisheart,therehadbeensomehopethatitwastheoldmanwhopreventedhisdaughterfromcoming.
InhiswrathhewouldhavestrangledGryphus,butwouldnotthishaveseparatedhimforeverfromRosa?
Theeveningclosingin,hisdespairchangedintomelancholy,whichwasthemoregloomyas,involuntarily,VanBaerlemixedupwithitthethoughtofhispoortulip.ItwasnowjustthatweekinAprilwhichthemostexperiencedgardenerspointoutastheprecisetimewhentulipsoughttobeplanted.HehadsaidtoRosa,—
“Ishalltellyouthedaywhenyouaretoputthebulbintheground.”
Hehadintendedtofix,atthevainlyhopedforinterview,thefollowingdayasthetimeforthatmomentousoperation.Theweatherwaspropitious;theair,thoughstilldamp,begantobetemperedbythosepaleraysoftheAprilsunwhich,beingthefirst,appearsocongenial,althoughsopale.HowifRosaallowedtherightmomentforplantingthebulbtopassby,—if,inadditiontothegriefofseeinghernomore,heshouldhavetodeplorethemisfortuneofseeinghistulipfailonaccountofitshavingbeenplantedtoolate,orofitsnothavingbeenplantedatall!
Thesetwovexationscombinedmightwellmakehimleaveoffeatinganddrinking.
Thiswasthecaseonthefourthday.
