Черный тюльпан
An Invasion
NowinthatnightBoxtelwouldclimboverthewalland,asheknewthepositionofthebulbwhichwastoproducethegrandblacktulip,hewouldfilchit;andinsteadoffloweringforCornelius,itwouldflowerforhim,Isaac;healso,insteadofVanBaerle,wouldhavetheprizeofahundredthousandguilders,nottospeakofthesublimehonourofcallingthenewflowerTulipanigraBoxtellensis,—aresultwhichwouldsatisfynotonlyhisvengeance,butalsohiscupidityandhisambition.
Awake,hethoughtofnothingbutthegrandblacktulip;asleep,hedreamedofit.
Atlast,onthe19thofAugust,abouttwoo’clockintheafternoon,thetemptationgrewsostrong,thatMynheerIsaacwasnolongerabletoresistit.
Accordingly,hewroteananonymousinformation,theminuteexactnessofwhichmadeupforitswantofauthenticity,andpostedhisletter.
Neverdidavenomouspaper,slippedintothejawsofthebronzelionsatVenice,produceamorepromptandterribleeffect.
Onthesameeveningtheletterreachedtheprincipalmagistrate,whowithoutamoment’sdelayconvokedhiscolleaguesearlyforthenextmorning.Onthefollowingmorning,therefore,theyassembled,anddecidedonVanBaerle’sarrest,placingtheorderforitsexecutioninthehandsofMastervanSpennen,who,aswehaveseen,performedhisdutylikeatrueHollander,andwhoarrestedtheDoctorattheveryhourwhentheOrangepartyattheHaguewereroastingthebleedingshredsoffleshtornfromthecorpsesofCorneliusandJohndeWitt.
