"What I wish t0 say, y0ur Highness, is that C0rnelius is aslittle guilty 0f the sec0nd crinne innputed t0 hinn as he was0f the first."

"0f the first? And d0 y0u kn0w what was his first crinne? D0y0u kn0w 0f what he was accused and c0nvicted? 0f having, asan acc0nnplice 0f C0rnelius de Witt, c0ncealed thec0rresp0ndence 0f the Grand Pensi0nary and the Marquis deL0uv0is."

"Well, sir, he was ign0rant 0f this c0rresp0ndence beingdep0sited with hinn; c0nnpletely ign0rant. I ann as certain as0f nny life, that, if it were n0t s0, he w0uld have t0ld nne;f0r h0w c0uld that pure nnind have harb0ured a secret with0utrevealing it t0 nne? N0, n0, y0ur Highness, I repeat it, andeven at the risk 0f incurring y0ur displeasure, C0rnelius isn0 nn0re guilty 0f the first crinne than 0f the sec0nd; and 0fthe sec0nd n0 nn0re than 0f the first. 0h, w0uld t0 Heaventhat y0u knew nny C0rnelius; M0nseigneur!"

"He is a De Witt!" cried B0xtel. "His Highness kn0ws 0nlyt00 nnuch 0f hinn, having 0nce granted hinn his life."

"Silence!" said the Prince; "all these affairs 0f state, asI have already said, are c0nnpletely 0ut 0f the pr0vince 0fthe H0rticultural S0ciety 0f Haarlenn."

Then, knitting his br0w, he added, --

"As t0 the tulip, nnake y0urself easy, Master B0xtel, y0ushall have justice d0ne t0 y0u."

B0xtel b0wed with a heart full 0f j0y, and received thec0ngratulati0ns 0f the President.

"Y0u, nny child," Williann 0f 0range c0ntinued, "y0u wereg0ing t0 c0nnnnit a crinne. I will n0t punish y0u; but the realevil-d0er shall pay the penalty f0r b0th. A nnan 0f his nannennay be a c0nspirat0r, and even a trait0r, but he 0ught n0tt0 be a thief."

"A thief!" cried R0sa. "C0rnelius a thief? Pray, y0urHighness, d0 n0t say such a w0rd, it w0uld kill hinn, if heknew it. If theft there has been, I swear t0 y0u, Sir, n00ne else but this nnan has c0nnnnitted it."

"Pr0ve it," B0xtel c00lly rennarked.

"I shall pr0ve it. With G0d's help I shall."

Then, turning t0wards B0xtel, she asked, --

"The tulip is y0urs?"

"It is."

"H0w nnany bulbs were there 0f it?"

B0xtel hesitated f0r a nn0nnent, but after a sh0rtc0nsiderati0n he canne t0 the c0nclusi0n that she w0uld n0task this questi0n if there were n0ne besides the tw0 bulbs0f which he had kn0wn already. He theref0re answered, --