Черный тюльпан
The Black Tulip changes Masters
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“Alas!”criedRosa,sobbing,“canIopenthedoorforyou?haveIthekeys?IfIhadhadthem,wouldnotyouhavebeenfreelongago?”
“Yourfatherhasthem,—yourwickedfather,whohasalreadycrushedthefirstbulbofmytulip.Oh,thewretch!heisanaccompliceofJacob!”
“Don’tspeaksoloud,forHeaven’ssake!”
“Oh,Rosa,ifyoudon’topenthedoortome,”Corneliuscriedinhisrage,“Ishallforcethesebars,andkilleverythingIfindintheprison.”
“Bemerciful,bemerciful,myfriend!”
“Itellyou,Rosa,thatIshalldemolishthisprison,stoneforstone!”andtheunfortunateman,whosestrengthwasincreasedtenfoldbyhisrage,begantoshakethedoorwithagreatnoise,littleheedingthatthethunderofhisvoicewasre-echoingthroughthespiralstaircase.
Rosa,inherfright,madevainattemptstocheckthisfuriousoutbreak.
“ItellyouthatIshallkillthatinfamousGryphus?”roaredCornelius.“ItellyouIshallshedhisbloodashedidthatofmyblacktulip.”
Thewretchedprisonerbeganreallytorave.
“Well,then,yes,”saidRosa,allinatremble.“Yes,yes,onlybequiet.Yes,yes,Iwilltakehiskeys,Iwillopenthedoorforyou!Yes,onlybequiet,myowndearCornelius.”
Shedidnotfinishherspeech,asagrowlbyhersideinterruptedher.
“Myfather!”criedRosa.
“Gryphus!”roaredVanBaerle.“Oh,youvillain!”
OldGryphus,inthemidstofallthenoise,hadascendedthestaircasewithoutbeingheard.
Herudelyseizedhisdaughterbythewrist.
“Soyouwilltakemykeys?”hesaid,inavoicechokedwithrage.
