The carriage rolled on during the whole day; it passed onthe right of Dort, went through Rotterdam, and reachedDelft. At five o'clock in the evening, at least twentyleagues had been travelled.

　　Cornelius addressed some questions to the officer, who wasat the same time his guard and his companion; but, cautiousas were his inquiries, he had the disappointment ofreceiving no answer.

　　Cornelius regretted that he had no longer by his side thechatty soldier, who would talk without being questioned.

　　That obliging person would undoubtedly have given him aspleasant details and exact explanations concerning thisthird strange part of his adventures as he had doneconcerning the first two.

　　The travellers passed the night in the carriage. On thefollowing morning at dawn Cornelius found himself beyondLeyden, having the North Sea on his left, and the Zuyder Zeeon his right.

　　Three hours after, he entered Haarlem.

　　Cornelius was not aware of what had passed at Haarlem, andwe shall leave him in ignorance of it until the course ofevents enlightens him.

　　But the reader has a right to know all about it even beforeour hero, and therefore we shall not make him wait.

　　We have seen that Rosa and the tulip, like two orphansisters, had been left by Prince William of Orange at thehouse of the President van Systens.

　　Rosa did not hear again from the Stadtholder until theevening of that day on which she had seen him face to face.

　　Toward evening, an officer called at Van Systen's house. Hecame from his Highness, with a request for Rosa to appear atthe Town Hall.

　　There, in the large Council Room into which she was ushered,she found the Prince writing.

　　He was alone, with a large Frisian greyhound at his feet,which looked at him with a steady glance, as if the faithfulanimal were wishing to do what no man could do, -- read thethoughts of his master in his face.

　　William continued his writing for a moment; then, raisinghis eyes, and seeing Rosa standing near the door, he said,without laying down his pen, --"Come here, my child."Rosa advanced a few steps towards the table.

　　"Sit down," he said.

　　Rosa obeyed, for the Prince was fixing his eyes upon her,but he had scarcely turned them again to his paper when shebashfully retired to the door.

　　The Prince finished his letter.

　　During this time, the greyhound went up to Rosa, surveyedher and began to caress her.

　　"Ah, ah!" said William to his dog, "it's easy to see thatshe is a countrywoman of yours, and that you recognise her."Then, turning towards Rosa, and fixing on her hisscrutinising, and at the same time impenetrable glance, hesaid, --"Now, my child."The Prince was scarcely twenty-three, and Rosa eighteen ortwenty. He might therefore perhaps better have said, Mysister.

　　"............