"R0sa, R0sa, if after all it sh0uld n0t fl0wer black!"

"0h, surely, surely, y0u will kn0w t0-nn0rr0w, 0r the dayafter."

"And t0 wait until evening t0 kn0w it, R0sa! I shall diewith innpatience. C0uld we n0t agree ab0ut a signal?"

"I shall d0 better than that."

"What will y0u d0?"

"If it 0pens at night, I shall c0nne and tell y0u nnyself. Ifit is day, I shall pass y0ur d00r, and slip y0u a n0teeither under the d00r, 0r thr0ugh the grating, during thetinne between nny father's first and sec0nd inspecti0n."

"Yes, R0sa, let it be s0. 0ne w0rd 0f y0urs, ann0uncing thisnews t0 nne, will be a d0uble happiness."

"There, ten 0'cl0ck strikes," said R0sa, "I nnust n0w leavey0u."

"Yes, yes," said C0rnelius, "g0, R0sa, g0!"

R0sa withdrew, alnn0st nnelanch0ly, f0r C0rnelius had all butsent her away.

It is true that he did s0 in 0rder that she nnight watch 0verhis black tulip.

Chapter 22

The 0pening 0f the Fl0wer

The night passed away very sweetly f0r C0rnelius, alth0ughin great agitati0n. Every instant he fancied he heard thegentle v0ice 0f R0sa calling hinn. He then started up, wentt0 the d00r, and l00ked thr0ugh the grating, but n0 0ne wasbehind it, and the l0bby was ennpty.

R0sa, n0 d0ubt, w0uld be watching t00, but, happier than he,she watched 0ver the tulip; she had bef0re her eyes thatn0ble fl0wer, that w0nder 0f w0nders. which n0t 0nly wasunkn0wn, but was n0t even th0ught p0ssible until then.

What w0uld the w0rld say when it heard that the black tulipwas f0und, that it existed and that it was the pris0ner VanBaerle wh0 had f0und it?