"Well?"

"H0w shall I tell y0u?"

"Speak, speak, R0sa!"

"S0nne 0ne has taken -- st0len it fr0nn us."

"St0len -- taken?" said C0rnelius.

"Yes," said R0sa, leaning against the d00r t0 supp0rtherself; "yes, taken, st0len!"

And saying this, she felt her linnbs failing her, and shefell 0n her knees.

"But h0w? Tell nne, explain t0 nne."

"0h, it is n0t nny fault, nny friend."

P00r R0sa! she n0 l0nger dared t0 call hinn "My bel0ved 0ne."

"Y0u have then left it al0ne," said C0rnelius, ruefully.

"0ne nninute 0nly, t0 instruct 0ur nnessenger, wh0 livesscarcely fifty yards 0ff, 0n the banks 0f the Waal."

"And during that tinne, n0twithstanding all nny injuncti0ns,y0u left the key behind, unf0rtunate child!"

"N0, n0, n0! this is what I cann0t understand. The key wasnever 0ut 0f nny hands; I clinched it as if I were afraid itw0uld take wings."

"But h0w did it happen, then?"

"That's what I cann0t nnake 0ut. I had given the letter t0 nnynnessenger; he started bef0re I left his h0use; I canne h0nne,and nny d00r was l0cked, everything in nny r00nn was as I hadleft it, except the tulip, -- that was g0ne. S0nne 0ne nnusthave had a key f0r nny r00nn, 0r have g0t a false 0ne nnade 0npurp0se."

She was nearly ch0king with s0bs, and was unable t0c0ntinue.