Черный тюльпан
The Opening of the Flower
”
“No,bequiet,itistheferrymanofLoewestein,asmartyoungmanoftwenty-five.”
“ByJove!”
“Bequiet,”saidRosa,smiling,“heisstillunderage,asyouhaveyourselffixeditfromtwenty-sixtotwenty-eight.”
“Infine,doyouthinkyoumayrelyonthisyoungman?”
“Asonmyself;hewouldthrowhimselfintotheWaalortheMeuseifIbadehim.”
“Well,Rosa,thisladmaybeatHaarlemintenhours;youwillgivemepaperandpencil,and,perhapsbetterstill,penandink,andIwillwrite,orrather,onsecondthoughts,youwill,forifIdid,beingapoorprisoner,peoplemight,likeyourfather,seeaconspiracyinit.YouwillwritetothePresidentoftheHorticulturalSociety,andIamsurehewillcome.”
“Butifhetarries?”
“Well,letussupposethathetarriesoneday,oreventwo;butitisimpossible.Atulip-fancierlikehimwillnottarryonehour,notoneminute,notonesecond,tosetouttoseetheeighthwonderoftheworld.But,asIsaid,ifhetarriedoneoreventwodays,thetulipwillstillbeinitsfullsplendour.ThefloweroncebeingseenbythePresident,andtheprotocolbeingdrawnup,allisinorder;youwillonlykeepaduplicateoftheprotocol,andintrustthetuliptohim.Ah!ifwehadbeenabletocarryitourselves,Rosa,itwouldneverhaveleftmyhandsbuttopassintoyours;butthisisadream,whichwemustnotentertain,”continuedCorneliuswithasigh,“theeyesofstrangerswillseeitflowertothelast.Andaboveall,Rosa,beforethePresidenthasseenit,letitnotbeseenbyanyone.
