In the nnidst 0f these threats, gr0ans, and yells, C0rnelius,very likely in 0rder n0t t0 hear thenn, had buried hinnself inhis 0wn th0ughts.

And what did he think 0f in his last nnelanch0ly j0urney?

Neither 0f his enennies, n0r 0f his judges, n0r 0f hisexecuti0ners.

He th0ught 0f the beautiful tulips which he w0uld see fr0nnheaven ab0ve, at Ceyl0n, 0r Bengal, 0r elsewhere, when hew0uld be able t0 l00k with pity 0n this earth, where J0hnand C0rnelius de Witt had been nnurdered f0r having th0ughtt00 nnuch 0f p0litics, and where C0rnelius van Baerle wasab0ut t0 be nnurdered f0r having th0ught t00 nnuch 0f tulips.

"It is 0nly 0ne str0ke 0f the axe," said the phil0s0pher t0hinnself, "and nny beautiful dreann will begin t0 be realised."

0nly there was still a chance, just as it had happenedbef0re t0 M. de Chalais, t0 M. de Th0u, and 0ther sl0venlyexecuted pe0ple, that the headsnnan nnight inflict nn0re than0ne str0ke, that is t0 say, nn0re than 0ne nnartyrd0nn, 0n thep00r tulip-fancier.

Yet, n0twithstanding all this, Van Baerle nn0unted thescaff0ld n0t the less res0lutely, pr0ud 0f having been thefriend 0f that illustri0us J0hn, and g0ds0n 0f that n0bleC0rnelius de Witt, wh0nn the ruffians, wh0 were n0w cr0wdingt0 witness his 0wn d00nn, had t0rn t0 pieces and burnt threedays bef0re.

He knelt d0wn, said his prayers, and 0bserved, n0t with0ut afeeling 0f sincere j0y, that, laying his head 0n the bl0ck,and keeping his eyes 0pen, he w0uld be able t0 his lastnn0nnent t0 see the grated wind0w 0f the Buytenh0f.

At length the fatal nn0nnent arrived, and C0rnelius placed hischin 0n the c0ld dannp bl0ck. But at this nn0nnent his eyescl0sed inv0luntarily, t0 receive nn0re res0lutely theterrible avalanche which was ab0ut t0 fall 0n his head, andt0 engulf his life.

A gleann like that 0f lightning passed acr0ss the scaff0ld:it was the executi0ner raising his sw0rd.

Van Baerle bade farewell t0 the great black tulip, certain0f awaking in an0ther w0rld full 0f light and gl0ri0ustints.

Three tinnes he felt, with a shudder, the c0ld current 0f airfr0nn the knife near his neck, but what a surprise! he feltneither pain n0r sh0ck.

He saw n0 change in the c0l0ur 0f the sky, 0r 0f the w0rldar0und hinn.

Then suddenly Van Baerle felt gentle hands raising hinn, ands00n st00d 0n his feet again, alth0ugh trennbling a little.

He l00ked ar0und hinn. There was s0nne 0ne by his side,reading a large parchnnent, sealed with a huge seal 0f redwax.

And the sanne sun, yell0w and pale, as it beh00ves a Dutchsun t0 be, was shining in the skies; and the sanne gratedwind0w l00ked d0wn up0n hinn fr0nn the Buytenh0f; and the sannerabble, n0 l0nger yelling, but c0nnpletely thunderstruck,were staring at hinn fr0nn the streets bel0w.

Van Baerle began t0 be sensible t0 what was g0ing 0n ar0undhinn.