Черный тюльпан
Conclusion
“Yes,Monseigneur,”stammeredRosa,whosestrikingbeautyexcitedageneralmurmurofapplause.
“Oh!”mutteredCornelius,“shehasthenbeliedme,whenshesaidthisflowerwasstolenfromher.Oh!that’swhysheleftLoewestein.Alas!amIthenforgotten,betrayedbyherwhomIthoughtmybestfriendonearth?”
“Oh!”sighedBoxtel,“Iamlost.”
“Thistulip,”continuedthePrince,“willthereforebearthenameofitsproducer,andfigureinthecatalogueunderthetitle,TulipanigraRosaBarlœnsis,becauseofthenameVanBaerle,whichwillhenceforthbethenameofthisdamsel.”
AndatthesametimeWilliamtookRosa’shand,andplaceditinthatofayoungman,whorushedforth,paleandbeyondhimselfwithjoy,tothefootofthethronesalutingalternatelythePrinceandhisbride;andwhowithagratefullooktoheaven,returnedhisthankstotheGiverofallthishappiness.
AtthesamemomenttherefellatthefeetofthePresidentvanSystensanotherman,struckdownbyaverydifferentemotion.
Boxtel,crushedbythefailureofhishopes,laysenselessontheground.
Whentheyraisedhim,andexaminedhispulseandhisheart,hewasquitedead.
Thisincidentdidnotmuchdisturbthefestival,asneitherthePrincenorthePresidentseemedtominditmuch.
Corneliusstartedbackindismay,wheninthethief,inthepretendedJacob,herecognisedhisneighbour,IsaacBoxtel,whom,intheinnocenceofhisheart,hehadnotforoneinstantsuspectedofsuchawickedaction.
