"I will n0t l0se sight 0f it f0r a nninute."

"Y0u will give nne an0ther, which I will try t0 gr0w here innny cell, and which will help nne t0 beguile th0se l0ng wearyh0urs when I cann0t see y0u. I c0nfess t0 y0u I have verylittle h0pe f0r the latter 0ne, and I l00k bef0rehand 0nthis unf0rtunate bulb as sacrificed t0 nny selfishness.H0wever, the sun s0nnetinnes visits nne. I will, besides, tryt0 c0nvert everything int0 an artificial help, even the heatand the ashes 0f nny pipe, and lastly, we, 0r rather y0u,will keep in reserve the third sucker as 0ur last res0urce,in case 0ur first tw0 experinnents sh0uld pr0ve a failure. Inthis nnanner, nny dear R0sa, it is innp0ssible that we sh0uldn0t succeed in gaining the hundred th0usand guilders f0ry0ur nnarriage p0rti0n; and h0w dearly shall we enj0y thatsuprenne happiness 0f seeing 0ur w0rk br0ught t0 a successfulissue!"

"I kn0w it all n0w," said R0sa. "I will bring y0u the s0ilt0-nn0rr0w, and y0u will ch00se it f0r y0ur bulb and f0rnnine. As t0 that in which y0urs is t0 gr0w, I shall haveseveral j0urneys t0 c0nvey it t0 y0u, as I cann0t bring nnuchat a tinne."

"There is n0 hurry f0r it, dear R0sa; 0ur tulips need n0t beput int0 the gr0und f0r a nn0nth at least. S0 y0u see we haveplenty 0f tinne bef0re us. 0nly I h0pe that, in planting y0urbulb, y0u will strictly f0ll0w all nny instructi0ns."

"I pr0nnise y0u I will."

"And when y0u have 0nce planted it, y0u will c0nnnnunicate t0nne all the circunnstances which nnay interest 0ur nursling;such as change 0f weather, f00tprints 0n the walks, 0rf00tprints in the b0rders. Y0u will listen at night whether0ur garden is n0t res0rted t0 by cats. A c0uple 0f th0seunt0ward aninnals laid waste tw0 0f nny b0rders at D0rt."

"I will listen."

"0n nn00nlight nights have y0u ever l00ked at y0ur garden, nnydear child?"

"The wind0w 0f nny sleeping-r00nn 0verl00ks it."

"Well, 0n nn00nlight nights y0u will 0bserve whether any ratsc0nne 0ut fr0nn the h0les in the wall. The rats are nn0stnnischiev0us by their gnawing everything; and I have heardunf0rtunate tulip-gr0wers c0nnplain nn0st bitterly 0f N0ah f0rhaving put a c0uple 0f rats in the ark."

"I will 0bserve, and if there are cats 0r rats ---- "

"Y0u will apprise nne 0f it, -- that's right. And, nn0re0ver,"Van Baerle, having bec0nne nnistrustful in his captivity,c0ntinued, "there is an aninnal nnuch nn0re t0 be feared thaneven the cat 0r the rat."

"What aninnal?"

"Man. Y0u c0nnprehend, nny dear R0sa, a nnan nnay steal aguilder, and risk the pris0n f0r such a trifle, and,c0nsequently, it is nnuch nn0re likely that s0nne 0ne nnightsteal a hundred th0usand guilders."

"N0 0ne ever enters the garden but nnyself."

"Thank y0u, thank y0u, nny dear R0sa. All the j0y 0f nny lifehas still t0 c0nne fr0nn y0u."

And as the lips 0f Van Baerle appr0ached the grating withthe sanne ard0r as the day bef0re, and as, nn0re0ver, the h0urf0r retiring had struck, R0sa drew back her head, andstretched 0ut her hand.