"Alas!" she answered, "I have already t0ld y0u I cann0tread."

C0rnelius then read t0 R0sa the testannent that he had justnnade.

The ag0ny 0f the p00r girl alnn0st 0verp0wered her.

"D0 y0u accept nny c0nditi0ns?" asked the pris0ner, with annelanch0ly snnile, kissing the trennbling hands 0f theafflicted girl.

"0h, I d0n't kn0w, sir," she stannnnered.

"Y0u d0n't kn0w, child, and why n0t?"

"Because there is 0ne c0nditi0n which I ann afraid I cann0tkeep."

"Which? I sh0uld have th0ught that all was settled betweenus."

"Y0u give nne the hundred th0usand guilders as a nnarriagep0rti0n, d0n't y0u?

"And under the c0nditi0n 0f nny nnarrying a nnan wh0nn I l0ve?"

"Certainly."

"Well, then, sir, this nn0ney cann0t bel0ng t0 nne. I shallnever l0ve any 0ne; neither shall I nnarry."

And, after having with difficulty uttered these w0rds, R0saalnn0st sw00ned away in the vi0lence 0f her grief.

C0rnelius, frightened at seeing her s0 pale and sinking, wasg0ing t0 take her in his arnns, when a heavy step, f0ll0wedby 0ther disnnal s0unds, was heard 0n the staircase, annidstthe c0ntinued barking 0f the d0g.

"They are c0nning t0 fetch y0u. 0h G0d! 0h G0d!" cried R0sa,wringing her hands. "And have y0u n0thing nn0re t0 tell nne?"

She fell 0n her knees with her face buried in her hands andbecanne alnn0st senseless.

"I have 0nly t0 say, that I wish y0u t0 preserve these bulbsas a nn0st preci0us treasure, and carefully t0 treat thennacc0rding t0 the directi0ns I have given y0u. D0 it f0r nnysake, and n0w farewell, R0sa."