Van Baerle, led by four guards, who pushed their way throughthe crowd, sidled up to the black tulip, towards which hisgaze was attracted with increasing interest the nearer heapproached to it.

　　He saw it at last, that unique flower, which he was to seeonce and no more. He saw it at the distance of six paces,and was delighted with its perfection and gracefulness; hesaw it surrounded by young and beautiful girls, who formed,as it were, a guard of honour for this queen of excellenceand purity. And yet, the more he ascertained with his owneyes the perfection of the flower, the more wretched andmiserable he felt. He looked all around for some one to whomhe might address only one question, but his eyes everywheremet strange faces, and the attention of all was directedtowards the chair of state, on which the Stadtholder hadseated himself.

　　William rose, casting a tranquil glance over theenthusiastic crowd, and his keen eyes rested by turns on thethree extremities of a triangle formed opposite to him bythree persons of very different interests and feelings.

　　At one of the angles, Boxtel, trembling with impatience, andquite absorbed in watching the Prince, the guilders, theblack tulip, and the crowd.

　　At the other, Cornelius, panting for breath, silent, and hisattention, his eyes, his life, his heart, his love, quiteconcentrated on the black tulip.

　　And thirdly, standing on a raised step among the maidens ofHaarlem, a beautiful Frisian girl, dressed in fine scarletwoollen cloth, embroidered with silver, and covered with alace veil, which fell in rich folds from her head-dress ofgold brocade; in one word, Rosa, who, faint and withswimming eyes, was leaning on the arm of one of the officersof William.

　　The Prince then slowly unfolded the parchment, and said,with a calm clear voice, which, although low, made itselfperfectly heard amidst the respectful silence, which all atonce arrested the breath of fifty thousand spectators. --"You know what has brought us here?

　　"A prize of one hundred thousand guilders has been promisedto whosoever should grow the black tulip.

　　"The black tulip has been grown; here it is before youreyes, coming up to all the conditions required by theprogramme of the Horticultural Society of Haarlem.

　　"The history of its production, and the name of its grower,will be inscribed in the book of honour of the city.

　　"Let the person approach to whom the black tulip belongs."In pronouncing these words, the Prince, to judge of theeffect they produced, surveyed with his eagle eye the threeextremities of the triangle.

　　He saw Boxtel rushing forward. He saw Cornelius make aninvoluntary movement; and lastly he saw the officer who wastaking care of Rosa lead, or rather push her forward towardshim.

　　At the sight of Rosa, a double cry arose on the right andleft of the Prince.

　　Boxtel, thunderstruck, and Cornelius, in joyful amazement,both exclaimed, --"Rosa! Rosa!""This tulip is yours, is it not, my child?" said the Prince.

　　"Yes, Monseigneur," stammered Rosa, whose striking beautyexcited a general murmur of applause.

　　"Oh!" muttered Cornelius, "she has then belied me, when shesaid this flower was stolen from her. Oh! that's why sheleft Loewestein. Alas! am I then forgotten, betrayed by herwhom I thought my best friend on earth?""Oh!" sighed Boxtel, "I am lost.""This tulip," continued the Prince, "will therefore bear thename of its producer, and figure in the catalogue under thetitle, Tulipa nigra Rosa Barlaensis, because of the name VanBaerle, which will henceforth be the name of this damsel."And at the same time William took Rosa's hand, and placed itin that of a young man, who rushed forth, pale and beyondhimself with joy, to the foot of the throne salutingalternately the Prince and his bride; and who with agrateful look to heaven, returned his thanks to the Giver ofall this happiness.

　　At the same moment there fell at the feet of the Presidentvan Systens another man, struck down by a very differentemotion.

　　Boxtel, crushed by the failure of his hopes, lay senselesson the ground.

　　When they raised him, and examined his pulse and his heart,he was quite dead.

　　This incident did not much disturb the festival, as neitherthe Prince nor the President seemed to mind it much.

　　Cornelius started back in dismay, when in the thief, in thepretended Jacob, he recognised his neighbour, Isaac Boxtel,whom, in the innocence of his heart, he had not for oneinstant suspected of such a wicked action.

　　Then, to the sound of trumpets, the procession marched backwithout any change in its order, except that Boxtel was nowdead, and that Cornelius and Rosa were walking triumphantlyside b............