Черный тюльпан
The Happy Man makes Acquaintance with Misfortune
DeWitt,afterhavingsaidsomefewwordstoCornelius,themeaningofwhichthepryingneighbourcouldnotreadinthemovementofhislips,tookfromhisbreastpocketawhiteparcel,carefullysealed,whichBoxtel,judgingfromthemannerinwhichCorneliusreceivedit,andplaceditinoneofthepresses,supposedtocontainpapersofthegreatestimportance.
HisfirstthoughtwasthatthispreciousdepositenclosedsomenewlyimportedbulbsfromBengalorCeylon;buthesoonreflectedthatCorneliusdeWittwasverylittleaddictedtotulip-growing,andthatheonlyoccupiedhimselfwiththeaffairsofman,apursuitbyfarlesspeacefulandagreeablethanthatoftheflorist.Hethereforecametotheconclusionthattheparcelcontainedsimplysomepapers,andthatthesepaperswererelatingtopolitics.
ButwhyshouldpapersofpoliticalimportbeintrustedtoVanBaerle,whonotonlywas,butalsoboastedofbeing,anentirestrangertothescienceofgovernment,which,inhisopinion,wasmoreoccultthanalchemyitself?
ItwasundoubtedlyadepositwhichCorneliusdeWitt,alreadythreatenedbytheunpopularitywithwhichhiscountrymenweregoingtohonourhim,wasplacinginthehandsofhisgodson;acontrivancesomuchthemorecleverlydevised,asitcertainlywasnotatalllikelythatitshouldbesearchedforatthehouseofonewhohadalwaysstoodalooffromeverysortofintrigue.
