The night passed away very sweetly for Cornelius, althoughin great agitation. Every instant he fancied he heard thegentle voice of Rosa calling him. He then started up, wentto the door, and looked through the grating, but no one wasbehind it, and the lobby was empty.

　　Rosa, no doubt, would be watching too, but, happier than he,she watched over the tulip; she had before her eyes thatnoble flower, that wonder of wonders. which not only wasunknown, but was not even thought possible until then.

　　What would the world say when it heard that the black tulipwas found, that it existed and that it was the prisoner VanBaerle who had found it?

　　How Cornelius would have spurned the offer of his liberty inexchange for his tulip!

　　Day came, without any news; the tulip was not yet in flower.

　　The day passed as the night. Night came, and with it Rosa,joyous and cheerful as a bird.

　　"Well?" asked Cornelius.

　　"Well, all is going on prosperously. This night, without anydoubt, our tulip will be in flower.""And will it flower black?""Black as jet.""Without a speck of any other colour.""Without one speck.""Good Heavens! my dear Rosa, I have been dreaming all night,in the first place of you," (Rosa made a sign ofincredulity,) "and then of what we must do.""Well?""Well, and I will tell you now what I have decided on. Thetulip once being in flower, and it being quite certain thatit is perfectly black, you must find a messenger.""If it is no more than that, I have a messenger quiteready.""Is he safe?""One for whom I will answer, -- he is one of my lovers.""I hope not Jacob.""No, be quiet, it is the ferryman of Loewestein, a smartyoung man of twenty-five.""By Jove!""Be quiet," said Rosa, smiling, "he is still under age, asyou have yourself fixed it from twenty-six to twenty-eight.""In fine, do you think you may rely on this young man?""As on myself; he would throw himself into the Waal or theMeuse if I bade him.""Well, Rosa, this lad may be at Haarlem in ten hours; youwill give me paper and pencil, and, perhaps better still,pen and ink, and I will write, or rather, on secondthoughts, you will, for if I did, being a poor prisoner,people might, like your father, see a conspiracy in it. Youwill write to the President of the Horticultural Society,and I am sure he will come.""But if he tarries?""Well, let us suppose that he tarries one day, or even two;but it is impossible. A tulip-fancier like him will nottarry one hour, not one minute, not one second, to set outto see the eighth wonder of the world. But, as I said, if hetarried one or even two days, the tulip will still be in itsfull splendour. The flower once being seen by the President,and the protocol being drawn up, all is in order; you willonly keep a duplicate of the protocol, and intrust the tulipto him. Ah! if we had been able to carry it ourselves, Rosa,it would never have left my hands but to pass into yours;but this is a dream, which we must not entertain," continuedCornelius with a sigh, "the eyes of strangers will see itflower to the last. And above all, Rosa, before thePresident has seen it, let it not be seen by any one. Alas!

　　if any one saw the black tulip, it would be stolen.""Oh!""Did you not tell me yourself of what you apprehended fromyour lover Jacob? People will steal one guilder, why not ahundred thousand?""I shall watch; be quiet.""But if it opened whilst you were here?""The whimsical little thing would indeed be quite capable ofplaying such a trick," said Rosa.

　　"And if on your return you find it open?""Well?""Oh, Rosa, whenever it opens, remember that not a momentmust be lost in apprising the President.""And in apprising you. Yes, I understand."Rosa sighed, yet without any bitter feeling, but rather likea woman who begins to understand a foible, and to accustomherself to it.

　　"I return to your tulip, Mynheer van Baerle, and as soon asit opens I will give you news, which being done themessenger will set out immediately.""Rosa, Rosa, I don't know to what wonder under the sun Ishall compare you.""Compare me to the black tulip, and I promise you I shallfeel very much flattered. Good night, then, till we meetagain, Mynheer Cornelius.""Oh, say 'Good night, my friend.'""Good night, my friend," said Rosa, a little consoled.

　　"Say, 'My very dear friend.'""Oh, my friend -- ""Very dear friend, I entreat you, say 'very dear,' Rosa,very dear.""Very dear, yes, very dear," said Rosa, with a beatingheart, beyond herself with happiness.

　　"And now that you have said 'very dear,' dear Rosa, say also'most happy': say 'happier and more blessed than ever manwas under the sun.' I only lack one thing, Rosa.""And that is?""Your cheek, -- your fresh cheek, your soft, rosy cheek. Oh,Rosa, give it me of your own free will, and not by chance.

　　Ah!"The prisoner's prayer ended in a sigh of ecstasy; his lipsmet those of the maiden, -- not by chance, nor by stratagem,but as Saint-Preux's was to meet the lips of Julie a hundredyears later.

　　Rosa made her escape.

　　Cornelius stood with his heart upon his lips, and his faceglued to the wicket in the door.

　　He was fairly choking with h............