Черный тюльпан

A Last Request

           

           “Toseetheblacktulip,Monseigneur,”saidVanBaerle,claspinghishands,“andwhenIhaveseenit,whenIhaveseenwhatIdesiretoknow,Iamquitereadytodie,ifdieImust;butindyingIshallblessyourHighness’smercyforhavingallowedmetowitnesstheglorificationofmywork.”

           Itwas,indeed,acuriousspectacletoseethesetwomenatthewindowsoftheirseveralcarriages;theonesurroundedbyhisguards,andallpowerful,theotheraprisonerandmiserable;theonegoingtomountathrone,theotherbelievinghimselftobeonhiswaytothescaffold.

           William,lookingwithhiscoldglanceonCornelius,listenedtohisanxiousandurgentrequest.

           Thenaddressinghimselftotheofficer,hesaid,

           “IsthispersonthemutinousprisonerwhohasattemptedtokillhisjaileratLoewestein?”

           Corneliusheavedasighandhunghishead.Hisgood-temperedhonestfaceturnedpaleandredatthesameinstant.Thesewordsoftheall-powerfulPrince,whobysomesecretmessengerunavailabletoothermortalshadalreadybeenapprisedofhiscrime,seemedtohimtoforebodenotonlyhisdoom,butalsotherefusalofhislastrequest.

           Hedidnottrytomakeastruggle,ortodefendhimself;andhepresentedtothePrincetheaffectingspectacleofdespairinginnocence,likethatofachild,aspectaclewhichwasfullyunderstoodandfeltbythegreatmindandthegreatheartofhimwhoobservedit.

           “Allowtheprisonertoalight,andlethimseetheblacktulip;itiswellworthbeingseenonce

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