Черный тюльпан
The Rival
ForitmaywellbeimaginedthatthetendersecretofthetwolovershadnotescapedthepryingcuriosityofBoxtel.
Thequestion,therefore,washowtowrestthesecondbulbfromthecareofRosa.
Certainlythiswasnoeasytask.
Rosawatchedoverhertulipasamotheroverherchild,oradoveoverhereggs.
Rosaneverleftherroomduringtheday,and,morethanthat,strangetosay,sheneverleftitintheevening.
ForsevendaysBoxtelinvainwatchedRosa;shewasalwaysatherpost.
ThishappenedduringthosesevendayswhichmadeCorneliussounhappy,deprivinghimatthesametimeofallnewsofRosaandofhistulip.
WouldthecoolnessbetweenRosaandCorneliuslastforever?
ThiswouldhavemadethetheftmuchmoredifficultthanMynheerIsaachadatfirstexpected.
Wesaythetheft,forIsaachadsimplymadeuphismindtostealthetulip;andasitgrewinthemostprofoundsecrecy,andas,moreover,hisword,beingthatofarenownedtulip-grower,wouldanydaybetakenagainstthatofanunknowngirlwithoutanyknowledgeofhorticulture,oragainstthatofaprisonerconvictedofhightreason,heconfidentlyhopedthat,havingoncegotpossessionofthebulb,hewouldbecertaintoobtaintheprize;andthenthetulip,insteadofbeingcalledTulipanigraBarlœnsis,wouldgodowntoposterityunderthenameofTulipanigraBoxtellensisorBoxtellea.
MynheerIsaachadnotyetquitedecidedwhichofthesetwonameshewouldgivetothetulip,but,asbothmeantthesamething,thiswas,afterall,nottheimportantpoint.
Thepointwastostealthetulip.
