Черный тюльпан
The Family Cell
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“ThebrothersDeWittaremurdered!”Corneliusmuttered,withthecoldsweatonhisbrow,andsankonhisbed,hisarmshangingbyhisside,andhiseyesclosed.
“ThebrothersDeWitthavebeenjudgedbythepeople,”saidGryphus;“youcallthatmurdered,doyou?well,Icallitexecuted.”
Andseeingthattheprisonerwasnotonlyquiet,butentirelyprostrateandsenseless,herushedfromthecell,violentlyslammingthedoor,andnoisilydrawingthebolts.
Recoveringhisconsciousness,Corneliusfoundhimselfalone,andrecognisedtheroomwherehewas,—“thefamilycell,”asGryphushadcalledit,—asthefatalpassageleadingtoignominiousdeath.
Andashewasaphilosopher,and,morethanthat,ashewasaChristian,hebegantoprayforthesoulofhisgodfather,thenforthatoftheGrandPensionary,andatlastsubmittedwithresignationtoallthesufferingswhichGodmightordainforhim.
Thenturningagaintotheconcernsofearth,andhavingsatisfiedhimselfthathewasaloneinhisdungeon,hedrewfromhisbreastthethreebulbsoftheblacktulip,andconcealedthembehindablockofstone,onwhichthetraditionalwater-jugoftheprisonwasstanding,inthedarkestcornerofhiscell.
Uselesslabourofsomanyyears!suchsweethopescrushed!Hisdiscoverywas,afterall,toleadtonaught,justashisowncareerwastobecutshort.Here,inhisprison,therewasnotatraceofvegetation,notanatomofsoil,notarayofsunshine.
AtthisthoughtCorneliusfellintoagloomydespair,fromwhichhewasonlyarousedbyanextraordinarycircumstance
