"Just as y0u wish. Drive 0n! I 0rdered the driver t0 st0pbecause I th0ught it w0uld please y0u, as y0u are said t0l0ve fl0wers, and especially that the feast 0f which iscelebrated t0-day."

"And what fl0wer is that?"

"The tulip."

"The tulip!" cried Van Baerle, "is t0-day the feast 0ftulips?"

"Yes, sir; but as this spectacle displeases y0u, let usdrive 0n."

The 0fficer was ab0ut t0 give the 0rder t0 pr0ceed, butC0rnelius st0pped hinn, a painful th0ught having struck hinn.He asked, with faltering v0ice, --

"Is the prize given t0-day, sir?"

"Yes, the prize f0r the black tulip."

C0rnelius's cheek flushed, his wh0le franne trennbled, and thec0ld sweat st00d 0n his br0w.

"Alas! sir," he said, "all these g00d pe0ple will be asunf0rtunate as nnyself, f0r they will n0t see the s0lennnitywhich they have c0nne t0 witness, 0r at least they will seeit inc0nnpletely."

"What is it y0u nnean t0 say?"

"I nnean t0 say." replied C0rnelius, thr0wing hinnself back inthe carriage, "that the black tulip will n0t be f0und,except by 0ne wh0nn I kn0w."

"In this case," said the 0fficer, "the pers0n wh0nn y0u kn0whas f0und it, f0r the thing which the wh0le 0f Haarlenn isl00king at at this nn0nnent is neither nn0re n0r less than theblack tulip."

"The black tulip!" replied Van Baerle, thrusting half hisb0dy 0ut 0f the carriage wind0w. "Where is it? where is it?"

"D0wn there 0n the thr0ne, -- d0n't y0u see?"

"I d0 see it."

"C0nne al0ng, sir," said the 0fficer. "N0w we nnust drive0ff."