Черный тюльпан
The Two Brothers
Endowedwithanironframeandastoutheart,howwouldhehavedisappointedhisenemiesiftheycouldonlyhaveseen,inthedarkcelloftheBuytenhof,hispalefacelitupbythesmileofthemartyr,whoforgetsthedrossofthisearthafterhavingobtainedaglimpseofthebrightgloryofheaven.
Thewarden,indeed,hadalreadyrecoveredhisfullstrength,muchmoreowingtotheforceofhisownstrongwillthantoactualaid;andhewascalculatinghowlongtheformalitiesofthelawwouldstilldetainhiminprison.
Thiswasjustattheverymomentwhenthemingledshoutsoftheburgherguardandofthemobwereragingagainstthetwobrothers,andthreateningCaptainTilly,whoservedasaramparttothem.Thisnoise,whichroaredoutsideofthewallsoftheprison,asthesurfdashingagainsttherocks,nowreachedtheearsoftheprisoner.
But,threateningasitsounded,Corneliusappearednottodeemitworthhiswhiletoinquireafteritscause;nordidhegetuptolookoutofthenarrowgratedwindow,whichgaveaccesstothelightandtothenoiseoftheworldwithout.
Hewassoabsorbedinhisnever-ceasingpainthatithadalmostbecomeahabitwithhim.Hefeltwithsuchdelightthebondswhichconnectedhisimmortalbeingwithhisperishableframegraduallyloosening,thatitseemedtohimasifhisspirit,freedfromthetrammelsofthebody,werehoveringaboveit,liketheexpiringflamewhichrisesfromthehalf-extinguishedembers.
