Черный тюльпан
The Events which took place during those Eight Days
Then,keepingdowntheagitationwhichwasraginginhisbreast,hetookuptherake,smoothedtheground,soastoleaveitonhisretiringinthesamestateashehadfoundit,and,quiteabashedandrueful,walkedbacktothedoor,affectingtheunconcernedairofanordinaryvisitorofthegarden.”
“Oh,thewretch!”mutteredCornelius,wipingthecoldsweatfromhisbrow.“Oh,thewretch!Iguessedhisintentions.Butthebulb,Rosa;whathaveyoudonewithit?Itisalreadyratherlatetoplantit.”
“Thebulb?Ithasbeeninthegroundforthesesixdays.”
“Where?andhow?”criedCornelius.“GoodHeaven,whatimprudence!Whatisit?Inwhatsortofsoilisit?Inwhataspect?Goodorbad?IstherenoriskofhavingitfilchedbythatdetestableJacob?”
“Thereisnodangerofitsbeingstolen,”saidRosa,“unlessJacobwillforcethedoorofmychamber.”
“Oh!thenitiswithyouinyourbedroom?”saidCornelius,somewhatrelieved.“Butinwhatsoil?inwhatvessel?Youdon’tletitgrow,Ihope,inwaterlikethosegoodladiesofHaarlemandDort,whoimaginethatwatercouldreplacetheearth?”
“Youmaymakeyourselfcomfortableonthatscore,”saidRosa,smiling;“yourbulbisnotgrowinginwater.”
“Ibreatheagain.”
“Itisinagood,soundstonepot,justaboutthesizeofthejuginwhichyouhadplantedyours.Thesoiliscomposedofthreepartsofcommonmould,takenfromthebestspotofthegarden,andoneofthesweepingsoftheroad.
