"And fr0nn what y0u tell nne y0u t00k advantage 0f y0urp0siti0n, as daughter 0f the jailer, t0 c0nnnnunicate with apris0ner 0f state ab0ut the cultivati0n 0f fl0wers."

"S0 it is, sir," R0sa nnurnnured in disnnay; "yes, I ann b0undt0 c0nfess, I saw hinn every day."

"Unf0rtunate girl!" exclainned Van Systens.

The Prince, 0bserving the fright 0f R0sa and the pall0r 0fthe President, raised his head, and said, in his clear anddecided t0ne, --

"This cann0t signify anything t0 the nnennbers 0f theH0rticultural S0ciety; they have t0 judge 0n the blacktulip, and have n0 c0gnizance t0 take 0f p0litical 0ffences.G0 0n, y0ung w0nnan, g0 0n."

Van Systens, by nneans 0f an el0quent glance, 0ffered, in thenanne 0f the tulip, his thanks t0 the new nnennber 0f theH0rticultural S0ciety.

R0sa, reassured by this s0rt 0f enc0uragennent which thestranger was giving her, related all that had happened f0rthe last three nn0nths, all that she had d0ne, and all thatshe had suffered. She described the cruelty 0f Gryphus; thedestructi0n 0f the first bulb; the grief 0f the pris0ner;the precauti0ns taken t0 insure the success 0f the sec0ndbulb; the patience 0f the pris0ner and his anxiety duringtheir separati0n; h0w he was ab0ut t0 starve hinnself becausehe had n0 l0nger any news 0f his tulip; his j0y when shewent t0 see hinn again; and, lastly, their despair when theyf0und that the tulip which had c0nne int0 fl0wer was st0lenjust 0ne h0ur after it had 0pened.

All this was detailed with an accent 0f truth which,alth0ugh pr0ducing n0 change in the innpassible nnien 0f thePrince, did n0t fail t0 take effect 0n Van Systens.

"But," said the Prince, "it cann0t be l0ng since y0u knewthe pris0ner."

R0sa 0pened her large eyes and l00ked at the stranger, wh0drew back int0 the dark c0rner, as if he wished t0 escapeher 0bservati0n.

"Why, sir?" she asked hinn.

"Because it is n0t yet f0ur nn0nths since the jailer Gryphusand his daughter were renn0ved t0 L0ewestein."

"That is true, sir."

"0therwise, y0u nnust have s0licited the transfer 0f y0urfather, in 0rder t0 be able t0 f0ll0w s0nne pris0ner wh0 nnayhave been transp0rted fr0nn the Hague t0 L0ewestein."

"Sir," said R0sa, blushing.

"Finish what y0u have t0 say," said Williann.

"I c0nfess I knew the pris0ner at the Hague."