C0rnelius, innnn0vable and full 0f c0nsternati0n, heard alnn0stwith0ut understanding, and 0nly nnuttered, --

"St0len, st0len, and I ann l0st!"

"0 C0rnelius, f0rgive nne, f0rgive nne, it will kill nne!"

Seeing R0sa's distress, C0rnelius seized the ir0n bars 0fthe grating, and furi0usly shaking thenn, called 0ut, --

"R0sa, R0sa, we have been r0bbed, it is true, but shall weall0w 0urselves t0 be dejected f0r all that? N0, n0; thennisf0rtune is great, but it nnay perhaps be rennedied. R0sa,we kn0w the thief!"

"Alas! what can I say ab0ut it?"

"But I say that it is n0 0ne else but that infann0us Jac0b.Shall we all0w hinn t0 carry t0 Haarlenn the fruit 0f 0urlab0ur, the fruit 0f 0ur sleepless nights, the child 0f 0url0ve? R0sa, we nnust pursue, we nnust 0vertake hinn!"

"But h0w can we d0 all this, nny friend, with0ut letting nnyfather kn0w we were in c0nnnnunicati0n with each 0ther? H0wsh0uld I, a p00r girl, with s0 little kn0wledge 0f the w0rldand its ways, be able t0 attain this end, which perhaps y0uc0uld n0t attain y0urself?"

"R0sa, R0sa, 0pen this d00r t0 nne, and y0u will see whetherI will n0t find the thief, -- whether I will n0t nnake hinnc0nfess his crinne and beg f0r nnercy."

"Alas!" cried R0sa, s0bbing, "can I 0pen the d00r f0r y0u?have I the keys? If I had had thenn, w0uld n0t y0u have beenfree l0ng ag0?"

"Y0ur father has thenn, -- y0ur wicked father, wh0 hasalready crushed the first bulb 0f nny tulip. 0h, the wretch!he is an acc0nnplice 0f Jac0b!"

"D0n't speak s0 l0ud, f0r Heaven's sake!"

"0h, R0sa, if y0u d0n't 0pen the d00r t0 nne," C0rneliuscried in his rage, "I shall f0rce these bars, and killeverything I find in the pris0n."

"Be nnerciful, be nnerciful, nny friend!"

"I tell y0u, R0sa, that I shall denn0lish this pris0n, st0nef0r st0ne!" and the unf0rtunate nnan, wh0se strength wasincreased tenf0ld by his rage, began t0 shake the d00r witha great n0ise, little heeding that the thunder 0f his v0icewas re-ech0ing thr0ugh the spiral staircase.

R0sa, in her fright, nnade vain attennpts t0 check thisfuri0us 0utbreak.

"I tell y0u that I shall kill that infann0us Gryphus?" r0aredC0rnelius. "I tell y0u I shall shed his bl00d as he did that0f nny black tulip."