章节正文
black tulip, or because this hand was Rosa's? We shall leave
this point to the decision of wiser heads than ours.
Rosa withdrew with the other two suckers, pressing them to
her heart.
Did she press them to her heart because they were the bulbs
of the great black tulip, or because she had them from
Cornelius?
This point, we believe, might be more readilydecided than
the other.
However that may have been, from that moment life became
sweet, and again full of interest to the prisoner.
Rosa, as we have seen, had returned to him one of the
suckers.
Every evening she brought to him, handful by handful, a
quantity of soil from that part of the garden which he had
found to be the best, and which, indeed, was excellent.
A large jug, which Cornelius had skilfully broken, did
service as a flower-pot. He half filled it, and mixed the
earth of the garden with a small portion of dried river mud,
a mixture which formed an excellent soil.
Then, at the beginning of April, he planted his first sucker
in that jug.
Not a day passed on which Rosa did not come to have her chat
with Cornelius.
The tulips, concerning whose cultivation Rosa was taught all
the mysteries of the art, formed the principal topic of the
conversation; but, interesting as the subject was, people
cannot always talk about tulips.
They therefore began to chat also about other things, and
the tulip-fancier found out to his great astonishment what a
vast range of subjects a conversation may comprise.
Only Rosa had made it a habit to keep her pretty face
invariably six inches distant from the grating, having
perhaps become distrustful of herself.
There was one thing especially which gave Cornelius almost
as much anxiety as his bulbs -- a subject to which he always
returned -- the dependence of Rosa on her father.
Indeed, Van Baerle's happiness depended on the whim of this
man. He might one day find Loewestein dull, or the air of
the place unhealthy, or the gin bad, and leave the fortress,
and take his daughter with him, when Cornelius and Rosa
would again be separated.
"Of what use would the carrier pigeons then be?" said
Cornelius to Rosa, "as you, my dear girl, would not be able
to read what I should write to you, nor to write to me your
thoughts in return."
"Well," answered Rosa, who in her heart was as much afraid
of a separation as Cornelius himself, "we have one hour
every evening, let us make good use of it."
"I don't think we make such a bad use of it as it is."
"Let us employ it even better," said Rosa, smiling. "Teach
me to read and write. I shall make the best of your lessons,
believe me; and, in this way, we shall never be separated
any more, except by our own will."
"Oh, then, we have an eternity before us," said Cornelius.
Rosa smiled, and quietly shrugged her shoulders.
"Will you remain for ever in prison?" she said, "and after
having granted you your life, will not his Highness also
grant you your liberty? And will you not then recover your
fortune, and be a rich man, and then, when you are driving
in your own coach, riding your own horse, will you still
look at poor Rosa, the daughter of a jailer, scarcely better
than a hangman?"
Cornelius tried to contradict her, and certainly he would
have done so with all his heart, and with all the sincerity
of a soul full of love.
She, however, smilingly interrupted him, saying, "How is
your tulip going on?"
To speak to Cornelius of his tulip was an expedient resorted
to by her to make him forget everything, even Rosa herself.
"Very well, indeed," he said, "the coat is growing black,
the sprouting has commenced, the veins of the bulb are
swelling, in eight days hence, and perhaps sooner, we may
distinguish the first buds of the leaves protruding. And
yours Rosa?"
"Oh, I have done things on a large scale, and according to
your directions."
"Now, let me hear, Rosa, what you have done," said
Cornelius, with as tender an anxiety as he had lately shown
to herself.
"Well," she said, smiling, for in her own heart she could
not help studying this double love of the prisoner for
herself and for the black tulip, "I have done things on a
large scale; I have prepared a bed as you described it to
me, on a clear spot, far from trees and walls, in a soil
slightly mixed with sand, rather moist than dry without a
fragment of stone or pebble."
"Well done, Rosa, well done."
"I am now only waiting for your further orders to put in the
bulb, you know that I must be behindhand with you, as I have
in my favour all the chances of good air, of the sun, and
abundance of moisture."
"All true, all true," exclaimed Cornelius, clapping his
hands with joy, "you are a good pupil, Rosa, and you are
sure to gain your hundred thousand guilders."
"Don't forget," said Rosa, smiling, "that your pupil, as you
call me, has still other things to learn besides the
cultivation of tulips."
"Yes, yes, and I am as anxious as you are, Rosa, that you
should learn to read."
"When shall we begin?"
"At once."
"No, to-morrow."
"Why to-morrow?"
"Because to-day our hour is expired, and I must leave you."
"Already? But what shall we read?"
"Oh," said Rosa, "I have a book, -- a book which I hope will
bring us luck."
"To-morrow, then."
"Yes, to-morrow."
On the following evening Rosa returned with the Bible of
Cornelius de Witt.
Chapter 17
The First Bulb
On the following evening, as we have said, Rosa returned
with the Bible of Cornelius de Witt.
Then began between the master and the pupil one of those
charming scenes which are the delight of the novelist who
has to describe them.
The grated window, the only opening through which the two
lovers were able to communicate, was too high for
conveniently reading a book, although it had been quite
convenient for them to read each other's faces.
Rosa therefore had to press the open book against the
grating edgewise, holding above it in her right hand the
lamp, but Cornelius hit upon the lucky idea of fixing it to
the bars, so as to afford her a little rest. Rosa was then
enabled to follow with her finger the letters and syllables,
which she was to spell for Cornelius, who with a straw
pointed out the letters to his attentive pupil through the
holes of the grating.
The light of the lamp illuminated the rich complexion of
Rosa, her blue liquid eyes, and her golden hair under her
head-dress of gold brocade, with her fingers held up, and
showing in the blood, as it flowed downwards in the veins
that pale pink hue which shines before the light owing to
the living transparency of the flesh tint.
Rosa's intellect rapidly developed itself under the
animating influence of Cornelius, and when the difficulties
seemed too arduous, the sympathy of two loving hearts seemed
to smooth them away.
And Rosa, after having returned to her room, repeated in her
solitude the reading lessons, and at the same time recalled
all the delight which she had felt whilst receiving them.
One evening she came half an hour later than usual. This was
too extraordinary an instance not to call forth at once
Cornelius's inquiries after its cause.
"Oh! do not be angry with me," she said, "it is not my
fault. My father has renewed an acquaintance with an old
crony who used to visit him at the Hague, and to ask him to
let him see the prison. He is a good sort of fellow, fond of
his bottle, tells funny stories, and moreover is very free
with his money, so as always to be ready to stand a treat."
"You don't know anything further of him?" asked Cornelius,
surprised.
"No," she answered; "it's only for about a fortnight that my
father has taken such a fancy to this friend who is so
assiduous in visiting him."
"Ah, so," said Cornelius, shaking his head uneasily as every
new incident seemed to him to forebode some catastrophe;
"very likely some spy, one of those who are sent into jails
to watch both prisoners and their keepers."
"I don't believe that," said Rosa, smiling; "if that worthy
person is spying after any one, it is certainly not after my
father."
"After whom, then?"
"Me, for instance."
"You?"
"Why not?" said Rosa, smiling.
"Ah, that's true," Cornelius observed, with a sigh. "You
will not always have suitors in vain; this man may become
your husband."
"I don't say anything to the contrary."
"What cause have you to entertain such a happy prospect?"
"Rather say, this fear, Mynheer Cornelius."
"Thank you, Rosa, you are right; well, I will say then, this
fear?"
"I have only this reason ---- "
"Tell me, I am anxious to hear."
"This man came several times before to the Buytenhof, at the
Hague. I remember now, it was just about the time when you
were confined there. When I left, he left too; when I came
here, he came after me. At the Hague his pretext was that he
wanted to see you."
"See me?"
"Yes, it must have undoubtedly been only a pretext for now,
when he could plead the same reason, as you are my father's
prisoner again, he does not care any longer for you; quite
the contrary, -- I heard him say to my father only yesterday
that he did not know you."
"Go on, Rosa, pray do, that I may guess who that man is, and
what he wants."
"Are you quite sure, Mynheer Cornelius, that none of your
friends can interest himself for you?"
"I have no friends, Rosa; I have only my old nurse, whom you
know, and who knows you. Alas, poor Sue! she would come
herself, and use no roundabout ways. She would at once say
to your father, or to you, 'My good sir, or my good miss, my
child is here; see how grieved I am; let me see him only for
one hour, and I'll pray for you as long as I live.' No, no,"
continued Cornelius; "with the exception of my poor old Sue,
this point to the decision of wiser heads than ours.
Rosa withdrew with the other two suckers, pressing them to
her heart.
Did she press them to her heart because they were the bulbs
of the great black tulip, or because she had them from
Cornelius?
This point, we believe, might be more readilydecided than
the other.
However that may have been, from that moment life became
sweet, and again full of interest to the prisoner.
Rosa, as we have seen, had returned to him one of the
suckers.
Every evening she brought to him, handful by handful, a
quantity of soil from that part of the garden which he had
found to be the best, and which, indeed, was excellent.
A large jug, which Cornelius had skilfully broken, did
service as a flower-pot. He half filled it, and mixed the
earth of the garden with a small portion of dried river mud,
a mixture which formed an excellent soil.
Then, at the beginning of April, he planted his first sucker
in that jug.
Not a day passed on which Rosa did not come to have her chat
with Cornelius.
The tulips, concerning whose cultivation Rosa was taught all
the mysteries of the art, formed the principal topic of the
conversation; but, interesting as the subject was, people
cannot always talk about tulips.
They therefore began to chat also about other things, and
the tulip-fancier found out to his great astonishment what a
vast range of subjects a conversation may comprise.
Only Rosa had made it a habit to keep her pretty face
invariably six inches distant from the grating, having
perhaps become distrustful of herself.
There was one thing especially which gave Cornelius almost
as much anxiety as his bulbs -- a subject to which he always
returned -- the dependence of Rosa on her father.
Indeed, Van Baerle's happiness depended on the whim of this
man. He might one day find Loewestein dull, or the air of
the place unhealthy, or the gin bad, and leave the fortress,
and take his daughter with him, when Cornelius and Rosa
would again be separated.
"Of what use would the carrier pigeons then be?" said
Cornelius to Rosa, "as you, my dear girl, would not be able
to read what I should write to you, nor to write to me your
thoughts in return."
"Well," answered Rosa, who in her heart was as much afraid
of a separation as Cornelius himself, "we have one hour
every evening, let us make good use of it."
"I don't think we make such a bad use of it as it is."
"Let us employ it even better," said Rosa, smiling. "Teach
me to read and write. I shall make the best of your lessons,
believe me; and, in this way, we shall never be separated
any more, except by our own will."
"Oh, then, we have an eternity before us," said Cornelius.
Rosa smiled, and quietly shrugged her shoulders.
"Will you remain for ever in prison?" she said, "and after
having granted you your life, will not his Highness also
grant you your liberty? And will you not then recover your
fortune, and be a rich man, and then, when you are driving
in your own coach, riding your own horse, will you still
look at poor Rosa, the daughter of a jailer, scarcely better
than a hangman?"
Cornelius tried to contradict her, and certainly he would
have done so with all his heart, and with all the sincerity
of a soul full of love.
She, however, smilingly interrupted him, saying, "How is
your tulip going on?"
To speak to Cornelius of his tulip was an expedient resorted
to by her to make him forget everything, even Rosa herself.
"Very well, indeed," he said, "the coat is growing black,
the sprouting has commenced, the veins of the bulb are
swelling, in eight days hence, and perhaps sooner, we may
distinguish the first buds of the leaves protruding. And
yours Rosa?"
"Oh, I have done things on a large scale, and according to
your directions."
"Now, let me hear, Rosa, what you have done," said
Cornelius, with as tender an anxiety as he had lately shown
to herself.
"Well," she said, smiling, for in her own heart she could
not help studying this double love of the prisoner for
herself and for the black tulip, "I have done things on a
large scale; I have prepared a bed as you described it to
me, on a clear spot, far from trees and walls, in a soil
slightly mixed with sand, rather moist than dry without a
fragment of stone or pebble."
"Well done, Rosa, well done."
"I am now only waiting for your further orders to put in the
bulb, you know that I must be behindhand with you, as I have
in my favour all the chances of good air, of the sun, and
abundance of moisture."
"All true, all true," exclaimed Cornelius, clapping his
hands with joy, "you are a good pupil, Rosa, and you are
sure to gain your hundred thousand guilders."
"Don't forget," said Rosa, smiling, "that your pupil, as you
call me, has still other things to learn besides the
cultivation of tulips."
"Yes, yes, and I am as anxious as you are, Rosa, that you
should learn to read."
"When shall we begin?"
"At once."
"No, to-morrow."
"Why to-morrow?"
"Because to-day our hour is expired, and I must leave you."
"Already? But what shall we read?"
"Oh," said Rosa, "I have a book, -- a book which I hope will
bring us luck."
"To-morrow, then."
"Yes, to-morrow."
On the following evening Rosa returned with the Bible of
Cornelius de Witt.
Chapter 17
The First Bulb
On the following evening, as we have said, Rosa returned
with the Bible of Cornelius de Witt.
Then began between the master and the pupil one of those
charming scenes which are the delight of the novelist who
has to describe them.
The grated window, the only opening through which the two
lovers were able to communicate, was too high for
conveniently reading a book, although it had been quite
convenient for them to read each other's faces.
Rosa therefore had to press the open book against the
grating edgewise, holding above it in her right hand the
lamp, but Cornelius hit upon the lucky idea of fixing it to
the bars, so as to afford her a little rest. Rosa was then
enabled to follow with her finger the letters and syllables,
which she was to spell for Cornelius, who with a straw
pointed out the letters to his attentive pupil through the
holes of the grating.
The light of the lamp illuminated the rich complexion of
Rosa, her blue liquid eyes, and her golden hair under her
head-dress of gold brocade, with her fingers held up, and
showing in the blood, as it flowed downwards in the veins
that pale pink hue which shines before the light owing to
the living transparency of the flesh tint.
Rosa's intellect rapidly developed itself under the
animating influence of Cornelius, and when the difficulties
seemed too arduous, the sympathy of two loving hearts seemed
to smooth them away.
And Rosa, after having returned to her room, repeated in her
solitude the reading lessons, and at the same time recalled
all the delight which she had felt whilst receiving them.
One evening she came half an hour later than usual. This was
too extraordinary an instance not to call forth at once
Cornelius's inquiries after its cause.
"Oh! do not be angry with me," she said, "it is not my
fault. My father has renewed an acquaintance with an old
crony who used to visit him at the Hague, and to ask him to
let him see the prison. He is a good sort of fellow, fond of
his bottle, tells funny stories, and moreover is very free
with his money, so as always to be ready to stand a treat."
"You don't know anything further of him?" asked Cornelius,
surprised.
"No," she answered; "it's only for about a fortnight that my
father has taken such a fancy to this friend who is so
assiduous in visiting him."
"Ah, so," said Cornelius, shaking his head uneasily as every
new incident seemed to him to forebode some catastrophe;
"very likely some spy, one of those who are sent into jails
to watch both prisoners and their keepers."
"I don't believe that," said Rosa, smiling; "if that worthy
person is spying after any one, it is certainly not after my
father."
"After whom, then?"
"Me, for instance."
"You?"
"Why not?" said Rosa, smiling.
"Ah, that's true," Cornelius observed, with a sigh. "You
will not always have suitors in vain; this man may become
your husband."
"I don't say anything to the contrary."
"What cause have you to entertain such a happy prospect?"
"Rather say, this fear, Mynheer Cornelius."
"Thank you, Rosa, you are right; well, I will say then, this
fear?"
"I have only this reason ---- "
"Tell me, I am anxious to hear."
"This man came several times before to the Buytenhof, at the
Hague. I remember now, it was just about the time when you
were confined there. When I left, he left too; when I came
here, he came after me. At the Hague his pretext was that he
wanted to see you."
"See me?"
"Yes, it must have undoubtedly been only a pretext for now,
when he could plead the same reason, as you are my father's
prisoner again, he does not care any longer for you; quite
the contrary, -- I heard him say to my father only yesterday
that he did not know you."
"Go on, Rosa, pray do, that I may guess who that man is, and
what he wants."
"Are you quite sure, Mynheer Cornelius, that none of your
friends can interest himself for you?"
"I have no friends, Rosa; I have only my old nurse, whom you
know, and who knows you. Alas, poor Sue! she would come
herself, and use no roundabout ways. She would at once say
to your father, or to you, 'My good sir, or my good miss, my
child is here; see how grieved I am; let me see him only for
one hour, and I'll pray for you as long as I live.' No, no,"
continued Cornelius; "with the exception of my poor old Sue,
- readily [´redili]
ad.乐意地；容易地 (初中英语单词) - portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)
- mixture [´mikstʃə] n.混合；混合比；混合物 (初中英语单词)
- beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)
- principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)
- anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)
- lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- novelist [´nɔvəlist] n.小说家 (初中英语单词)
- opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- attentive [ə´tentiv] a.注意的；殷勤的 (初中英语单词)
- liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)
- sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)
- extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)
- instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)
- incident [´insidənt] n.小事件；事变 (初中英语单词)
- entertain [,entə´tein] vt.招待；娱乐；使高兴 (初中英语单词)
- undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)
- contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)
- exception [ik´sepʃən] n.例外；反对，异议 (初中英语单词)
- withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- handful [hændful] n.一把，少数，一小撮 (高中英语单词)
- concerning [kən´sə:niŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)
- cultivation [,kʌlti´veiʃən] n.耕作；培养 (高中英语单词)
- carrier [´kæriə] n.搬运工人；托架 (高中英语单词)
- separation [,sepə´reiʃən] n.分离；分开；分居 (高中英语单词)
- eternity [i´tə:niti] n.永恒，来世，无穷 (高中英语单词)
- highness [´hainis] n.高，高贵，高尚 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)
- complexion [kəm´plekʃən] n.肤色；情况；局面 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
- whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
- fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)
- grating [´greitiŋ] n.格栅 a.刺耳的 (英语四级单词)
- contradict [,kɔntrə´dikt] v.反驳；否认 (英语四级单词)
- expedient [ik´spi:diənt] a.合适的 n.权宜之计 (英语四级单词)
- downwards [´daunwədz] ad.向下，以下 (英语四级单词)
- intellect [´intilekt] n.智力；有才智的人 (英语四级单词)
- arduous [´ɑ:djuəs] a.费力的；陡峭的 (英语四级单词)
- dependence [di´pendəns] n.信赖，依赖 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- uneasily [ʌn´i:zili] ad.不安地；局促地 (英语六级单词)
- roundabout [´raundəbaut] a.&n.间接的(方式) (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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