The Pigeons of Dort

           ItwasindeedinitselfagreathonourforCorneliusvanBaerletobeconfinedinthesameprisonwhichhadoncereceivedthelearnedmasterGrotius.

           Butonarrivingattheprisonhemetwithanhonourevengreater.Aschancewouldhaveit,thecellformerlyinhabitedbytheillustriousBarneveldthappenedtobevacant,whentheclemencyofthePrinceofOrangesentthetulip-fancierVanBaerlethere.

           ThecellhadaverybadcharacteratthecastlesincethetimewhenGrotius,bymeansofthedeviceofhiswife,madeescapefromitinthatfamousbook-chestwhichthejailersforgottoexamine.

           Ontheotherhand,itseemedtoVanBaerleanauspiciousomenthatthisverycellwasassignedtohim,foraccordingtohisideas,ajaileroughtnevertohavegiventoasecondpigeonthecagefromwhichthefirsthadsoeasilyflown.

           Thecellhadanhistoricalcharacter.Wewillonlystateherethat,withtheexceptionofanalcovewhichwascontrivedtherefortheuseofMadameGrotius,itdifferedinnorespectfromtheothercellsoftheprison;only,perhaps,itwasalittlehigher,andhadasplendidviewfromthegratedwindow.

           Corneliusfelthimselfperfectlyindifferentastotheplacewherehehadtoleadanexistencewhichwaslittlemorethanvegetation.Therewereonlytwothingsnowforwhichhecared,andthepossessionofwhichwasahappinessenjoyedonlyinimagination.

           Aflower,andawoman;bothofthem,asheconceived,losttohimforever.

           Fortunatelythegooddoctorwasmistaken.Inhisprisoncellthemostadventurouslifewhicheverfelltothelotofanytulip-fancierwasreservedforhim.