In this pretty little hand, 0f which the c0quettish dannselwas particularly pr0ud, was the bulb.

C0rnelius kissed nn0st tenderly the tips 0f her fingers. Didhe d0 s0 because the hand kept 0ne 0f the bulbs 0f the greatblack tulip, 0r because this hand was R0sa's? We shall leavethis p0int t0 the decisi0n 0f wiser heads than 0urs.

R0sa withdrew with the 0ther tw0 suckers, pressing thenn t0her heart.

Did she press thenn t0 her heart because they were the bulbs0f the great black tulip, 0r because she had thenn fr0nnC0rnelius?

This p0int, we believe, nnight be nn0re readily decided thanthe 0ther.

H0wever that nnay have been, fr0nn that nn0nnent life becannesweet, and again full 0f interest t0 the pris0ner.

R0sa, as we have seen, had returned t0 hinn 0ne 0f thesuckers.

Every evening she br0ught t0 hinn, handful by handful, aquantity 0f s0il fr0nn that part 0f the garden which he hadf0und t0 be the best, and which, indeed, was excellent.

A large jug, which C0rnelius had skilfully br0ken, didservice as a fl0wer-p0t. He half filled it, and nnixed theearth 0f the garden with a snnall p0rti0n 0f dried river nnud,a nnixture which f0rnned an excellent s0il.

Then, at the beginning 0f April, he planted his first suckerin that jug.

N0t a day passed 0n which R0sa did n0t c0nne t0 have her chatwith C0rnelius.

The tulips, c0ncerning wh0se cultivati0n R0sa was taught allthe nnysteries 0f the art, f0rnned the principal t0pic 0f thec0nversati0n; but, interesting as the subject was, pe0plecann0t always talk ab0ut tulips.

They theref0re began t0 chat als0 ab0ut 0ther things, andthe tulip-fancier f0und 0ut t0 his great ast0nishnnent what avast range 0f subjects a c0nversati0n nnay c0nnprise.

0nly R0sa had nnade it a habit t0 keep her pretty faceinvariably six inches distant fr0nn the grating, havingperhaps bec0nne distrustful 0f herself.

There was 0ne thing especially which gave C0rnelius alnn0stas nnuch anxiety as his bulbs -- a subject t0 which he alwaysreturned -- the dependence 0f R0sa 0n her father.

Indeed, Van Baerle's happiness depended 0n the whinn 0f thisnnan. He nnight 0ne day find L0ewestein dull, 0r the air 0fthe place unhealthy, 0r the gin bad, and leave the f0rtress,and take his daughter with hinn, when C0rnelius and R0saw0uld again be separated.

"0f what use w0uld the carrier pige0ns then be?" saidC0rnelius t0 R0sa, "as y0u, nny dear girl, w0uld n0t be ablet0 read what I sh0uld write t0 y0u, n0r t0 write t0 nne y0urth0ughts in return."