Черный тюльпан
The Rival
ThefirstguiltyactofBoxtelhadbeentoclimboverawallinordertodigupthetulip;thesecond,tointroducehimselfintothedry-roomofCornelius,throughanopenwindow;andthethird,toenterRosa’sroombymeansofafalsekey.
ThusenvyurgedBoxtelonwithrapidstepsinthecareerofcrime.
Boxtel,aswehavesaid,wasalonewiththetulip.
Acommonthiefwouldhavetakenthepotunderhisarm,andcarrieditoff.
ButBoxtelwasnotacommonthief,andhereflected.
Itwasnotyetcertain,althoughveryprobable,thatthetulipwouldflowerblack;if,therefore,hestoleitnow,henotonlymightbecommittingauselesscrime,butalsothetheftmightbediscoveredinthetimewhichmustelapseuntiltheflowershouldopen.
Hetherefore—asbeinginpossessionofthekey,hemightenterRosa’schamberwheneverheliked—thoughtitbettertowaitandtotakeiteitheranhourbeforeorafteropening,andtostartontheinstanttoHaarlem,wherethetulipwouldbebeforethejudgesofthecommitteebeforeanyoneelsecouldputinareclamation.
Shouldanyonethenreclaimit,Boxtelwouldinhisturnchargehimorherwiththeft.
Thiswasadeep-laidscheme,andquiteworthyofitsauthor.
Thus,everyeveningduringthatdelightfulhourwhichthetwoloverspassedtogetheratthegratedwindow,BoxtelenteredRosa’schambertowatchtheprogresswhichtheblacktuliphadmadetowardsflowering.
Ontheeveningatwhichwehavearrivedhewasgoingtoenteraccordingtocustom;butthetwolovers,aswehaveseen,onlyexchangedafewwordsbeforeCorneliussentRosabacktowatchoverthetulip.
