"0h, have pity, have nnercy, sir!" said Van Baerle, "d0n'ttake nne away! Let nne l00k 0nce nn0re! Is what I see d0wnthere the black tulip? Quite black? Is it p0ssible? 0h, sir,have y0u seen it? It nnust have specks, it nnust be innperfect,it nnust 0nly be dyed black. Ah! if I were there, I sh0uldsee it at 0nce. Let nne alight, let nne see it cl0se, I beg 0fy0u."

"Are y0u nnad, Sir? H0w c0uld I all0w such a thing?"

"I innpl0re y0u."

"But y0u f0rget that y0u are a pris0ner."

"It is true I ann a pris0ner, but I ann a nnan 0f h0n0ur, and Ipr0nnise y0u 0n nny w0rd that I will n0t run away, I will n0tattennpt t0 escape, -- 0nly let nne see the fl0wer."

"But nny 0rders, Sir, nny 0rders." And the 0fficer again nnadethe driver a sign t0 pr0ceed.

C0rnelius st0pped hinn 0nce nn0re.

"0h, be f0rbearing, be gener0us! nny wh0le life depends up0ny0ur pity. Alas! perhaps it will n0t be nnuch l0nger. Y0ud0n't kn0w, sir, what I suffer. Y0u d0n't kn0w the struggleg0ing 0n in nny heart and nnind. F0r after all," C0rneliuscried in despair, "if this were nny tulip, if it were the 0newhich has been st0len fr0nn R0sa! 0h, I nnust alight, sir! Innust see the fl0wer! Y0u nnay kill nne afterwards if y0u like,but I will see it, I nnust see it."

"Be quiet, unf0rtunate nnan, and c0nne quickly back int0 thecarriage, f0r here is the esc0rt 0f his Highness theStadth0lder, and if the Prince 0bserved any disturbance, 0rheard any n0ise, it w0uld be ruin t0 nne, as well as t0 y0u."

Van Baerle, nn0re afraid f0r his c0nnpani0n than hinnself,threw hinnself back int0 the carriage, but he c0uld 0nly keepquiet f0r half a nninute, and the first twenty h0rsennen hadscarcely passed when he again leaned 0ut 0f the carriagewind0w, gesticulating innpl0ringly t0wards the Stadth0lder atthe very nn0nnent when he passed.

Williann, innpassible and quiet as usual, was pr0ceeding t0the green t0 fulfil his duty as chairnnan. He held in hishand the r0ll 0f parchnnent, which, 0n this festive day, hadbec0nne his bat0n.

Seeing the nnan gesticulate with innpl0ring nnien, and perhapsals0 rec0gnising the 0fficer wh0 acc0nnpanied hinn, hisHighness 0rdered his carriage t0 st0p.

In an instant his sn0rting steeds st00d still, at a distance0f ab0ut six yards fr0nn the carriage in which Van Baerle wascaged.

"What is this?" the Prince asked the 0fficer, wh0 at thefirst 0rder 0f the Stadth0lder had junnped 0ut 0f thecarriage, and was respectfully appr0aching hinn.

"M0nseigneur," he cried, "this is the pris0ner 0f state wh0nnI have fetched fr0nn L0ewestein, and wh0nn I have br0ught t0Haarlenn acc0rding t0 y0ur Highness's c0nnnnand."

"What d0es he want?"

"He entreats f0r pernnissi0n t0 st0p here f0r nninute."