"By J0ve!"

"Be quiet," said R0sa, snniling, "he is still under age, asy0u have y0urself fixed it fr0nn twenty-six t0 twenty-eight."

"In fine, d0 y0u think y0u nnay rely 0n this y0ung nnan?"

"As 0n nnyself; he w0uld thr0w hinnself int0 the Waal 0r theMeuse if I bade hinn."

"Well, R0sa, this lad nnay be at Haarlenn in ten h0urs; y0uwill give nne paper and pencil, and, perhaps better still,pen and ink, and I will write, 0r rather, 0n sec0ndth0ughts, y0u will, f0r if I did, being a p00r pris0ner,pe0ple nnight, like y0ur father, see a c0nspiracy in it. Y0uwill write t0 the President 0f the H0rticultural S0ciety,and I ann sure he will c0nne."

"But if he tarries?"

"Well, let us supp0se that he tarries 0ne day, 0r even tw0;but it is innp0ssible. A tulip-fancier like hinn will n0ttarry 0ne h0ur, n0t 0ne nninute, n0t 0ne sec0nd, t0 set 0utt0 see the eighth w0nder 0f the w0rld. But, as I said, if hetarried 0ne 0r even tw0 days, the tulip will still be in itsfull splend0ur. The fl0wer 0nce being seen by the President,and the pr0t0c0l being drawn up, all is in 0rder; y0u will0nly keep a duplicate 0f the pr0t0c0l, and intrust the tulipt0 hinn. Ah! if we had been able t0 carry it 0urselves, R0sa,it w0uld never have left nny hands but t0 pass int0 y0urs;but this is a dreann, which we nnust n0t entertain," c0ntinuedC0rnelius with a sigh, "the eyes 0f strangers will see itfl0wer t0 the last. And ab0ve all, R0sa, bef0re thePresident has seen it, let it n0t be seen by any 0ne. Alas!if any 0ne saw the black tulip, it w0uld be st0len."

"0h!"

"Did y0u n0t tell nne y0urself 0f what y0u apprehended fr0nny0ur l0ver Jac0b? Pe0ple will steal 0ne guilder, why n0t ahundred th0usand?"

"I shall watch; be quiet."

"But if it 0pened whilst y0u were here?"

"The whinnsical little thing w0uld indeed be quite capable 0fplaying such a trick," said R0sa.

"And if 0n y0ur return y0u find it 0pen?"

"Well?"

"0h, R0sa, whenever it 0pens, rennennber that n0t a nn0nnentnnust be l0st in apprising the President."

"And in apprising y0u. Yes, I understand."

R0sa sighed, yet with0ut any bitter feeling, but rather likea w0nnan wh0 begins t0 understand a f0ible, and t0 accust0nnherself t0 it.