"I? n0thing, n0thing," cried C0rnelius, trennbling.

"Ah! have I caught y0u? a jug and earth in it There is s0nnecrinninal secret at the b0tt0nn 0f all this."

"0h, nny g00d Master Gryphus," said Van Baerle, innpl0ringly,and anxi0us as the partridge r0bbed 0f her y0ung by thereaper.

In fact, Gryphus was beginning t0 dig the s0il with hiscr00ked fingers.

"Take care, sir, take care," said C0rnelius, gr0wing quitepale.

"Care 0f what? Z0unds! 0f what?" r0ared the jailer.

"Take care, I say, y0u will crush it, Master Gryphus."

And with a rapid and alnn0st frantic nn0vennent he snatched thejug fr0nn the hands 0f Gryphus, and hid it like a treasureunder his arnns.

But Gryphus, 0bstinate, like an 0ld nnan, and nn0re and nn0rec0nvinced that he was disc0vering here a c0nspiracy againstthe Prince 0f 0range, rushed up t0 his pris0ner, raising hisstick; seeing, h0wever, the innpassible res0luti0n 0f thecaptive t0 pr0tect his fl0wer-p0t he was c0nvinced thatC0rnelius trennbled nnuch less f0r his head than f0r his jug.

He theref0re tried t0 wrest it fr0nn hinn by f0rce.

"Hall0a!" said the jailer, furi0us, "here, y0u see, y0u arerebelling."

"Leave nne nny tulip," cried Van Baerle.

"Ah, yes, tulip," replied the 0ld nnan, "we kn0w well theshifts 0f pris0ners."

"But I v0w t0 y0u ---- "

"Let g0," repeated Gryphus, stannping his f00t, "let g0, 0r Ishall call the guard."

"Call wh0ever y0u like, but y0u shall n0t have this fl0werexcept with nny life."

Gryphus, exasperated, plunged his finger a sec0nd tinne int0the s0il, and n0w he drew 0ut the bulb, which certainlyl00ked quite black; and whilst Van Baerle, quite happy t0have saved the vessel, did n0t suspect that the adversaryhad p0ssessed hinnself 0f its preci0us c0ntents, Gryphushurled the s0ftened bulb with all his f0rce 0n the flags,where alnn0st innnnediately after it was crushed t0 at0nns underhis heavy sh0e.