the black tulip(黑郁金香)- 第16部分

〃That's　true；〃　said　Cornelius；　gravely。　

〃And　besides；〃　continued　Rosa；　〃the　people　want　to　find　you　
guilty。　But　whether　innocent　or　guilty；　your　trial　begins　
to…morrow；　and　the　day　after　you　will　be　condemned。　Matters　
are　settled　very　quickly　in　these　times。〃　

〃Well；　and　what　do　you　conclude　from　all　this？〃　

〃I　conclude　that　I　am　alone；　that　I　am　weak；　that　my　father　
is　lying　in　a　swoon；　that　the　dog　is　muzzled；　and　that　
consequently　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　your　making　your　
escape。　Fly；　then；　that's　what　I　mean。〃　

〃What　do　you　say？〃　

〃I　say　that　I　was　not　able　to　save　Mynheer　Cornelius　or　
Mynheer　John　de　Witt；　and　that　I　should　like　to　save　you。　
Only　be　quick；　there；　my　father　is　regaining　his　breath；　one　
minute　more；　and　he　will　open　his　eyes；　and　it　will　be　too　
late。　Do　you　hesitate？〃　

In　fact；　Cornelius　stood　immovable；　looking　at　Rosa；　yet　
looking　at　her　as　if　he　did　not　hear　her。　

〃Don't　you　understand　me？〃　said　the　young　girl；　with　some　
impatience。　

〃Yes；　I　do；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃but　　〃　

〃But？〃　

〃I　will　not；　they　would　accuse　you。〃　

〃Never　mind；〃　said　Rosa；　blushing；　〃never　mind　that。〃　

〃You　are　very　good；　my　dear　child；〃　replied　Cornelius；　〃but　
I　stay。〃　

〃You　stay；　oh；　sir！　oh；　sir！　don't　you　understand　that　you　
will　be　condemned　to　death；　executed　on　the　scaffold；　
perhaps　assassinated　and　torn　to　pieces；　just　like　Mynheer　
John　and　Mynheer　Cornelius。　For　heaven's　sake；　don't　think　
of　me；　but　fly　from　this　place；　Take　care；　it　bears　ill　luck　
to　the　De　Witts！〃　

〃Halloa！〃　cried　the　jailer；　recovering　his　senses；　〃who　is　
talking　of　those　rogues；　those　wretches；　those　villains；　the　
De　Witts？〃　

〃Don't　be　angry；　my　good　man；〃　said　Cornelius；　with　his　
good…tempered　smile；　〃the　worst　thing　for　a　fracture　is　
excitement；　by　which　the　blood　is　heated。〃　

Thereupon；　he　said　in　an　undertone　to　Rosa　　

〃My　child；　I　am　innocent；　and　I　shall　await　my　trial　with　
tranquillity　and　an　easy　mind。〃　

〃Hush；〃　said　Rosa。　

〃Why　hush？〃　

〃My　father　must　not　suppose　that　we　have　been　talking　to　
each　other。〃　

〃What　harm　would　that　do？〃　

〃What　harm？　He　would　never　allow　me　to　come　here　any　more；〃　
said　Rosa。　

Cornelius　received　this　innocent　confidence　with　a　smile；　he　
felt　as　if　a　ray　of　good　fortune　were　shining　on　his　path。　

〃Now；　then；　what　are　you　chattering　there　together　about？〃　
said　Gryphus；　rising　and　supporting　his　right　arm　with　his　
left。　

〃Nothing；〃　said　Rosa；　〃the　doctor　is　explaining　to　me　what　
diet　you　are　to　keep。〃　

〃Diet；　diet　for　me？　Well；　my　fine　girl；　I　shall　put　you　on　
diet　too。〃　

〃On　what　diet；　my　father？〃　

〃Never　to　go　to　the　cells　of　the　prisoners；　and；　if　ever　you　
should　happen　to　go；　to　leave　them　as　soon　as　possible。　
Come；　off　with　me；　lead　the　way；　and　be　quick。〃　

Rosa　and　Cornelius　exchanged　glances。　

That　of　Rosa　tried　to　express；　　

〃There；　you　see？〃　

That　of　Cornelius　said；　　

〃Let　it　be　as　the　Lord　wills。〃　




Chapter　11

Cornelius　van　Baerle's　Will


Rosa　had　not　been　mistaken；　the　judges　came　on　the　following　
day　to　the　Buytenhof；　and　proceeded　with　the　trial　of　
Cornelius　van　Baerle。　The　examination；　however；　did　not　last　
long；　it　having　appeared　on　evidence　that　Cornelius　had　kept　
at　his　house　that　fatal　correspondence　of　the　brothers　De　
Witt　with　France。　

He　did　not　deny　it。　

The　only　point　about　which　there　seemed　any　difficulty　was　
whether　this　correspondence　had　been　intrusted　to　him　by　his　
godfather；　Cornelius　de　Witt。　

But　as；　since　the　death　of　those　two　martyrs；　Van　Baerle　had　
no　longer　any　reason　for　withholding　the　truth；　he　not　only　
did　not　deny　that　the　parcel　had　been　delivered　to　him　by　
Cornelius　de　Witt　himself；　but　he　also　stated　all　the　
circumstances　under　which　it　was　done。　

This　confession　involved　the　godson　in　the　crime　of　the　
godfather；　manifest　complicity　being　considered　to　exist　
between　Cornelius　de　Witt　and　Cornelius　van　Baerle。　

The　honest　doctor　did　not　confine　himself　to　this　avowal；　
but　told　the　whole　truth　with　regard　to　his　own　tastes；　
habits；　and　daily　life。　He　described　his　indifference　to　
politics；　his　love　of　study；　of　the　fine　arts；　of　science；　
and　of　flowers。　He　explained　that；　since　the　day　when　
Cornelius　de　Witt　handed　to　him　the　parcel　at　Dort；　he　
himself　had　never　touched；　nor　even　noticed　it。　

To　this　it　was　objected；　that　in　this　respect　he　could　not　
possibly　be　speaking　the　truth；　since　the　papers　had　been　
deposited　in　a　press　in　which　both　his　hands　and　his　eyes　
must　have　been　engaged　every　day。　

Cornelius　answered　that　it　was　indeed　so；　that；　however；　he　
never　put　his　hand　into　the　press　but　to　ascertain　whether　
his　bulbs　were　dry；　and　that　he　never　looked　into　it　but　to　
see　if　they　were　beginning　to　sprout。　

To　this　again　it　was　objected；　that　his　pretended　
indifference　respecting　this　deposit　was　not　to　be　
reasonably　entertained；　as　he　could　not　have　received　such　
papers　from　the　hand　of　his　godfather　without　being　made　
acquainted　with　their　important　character。　

He　replied　that　his　godfather　Cornelius　loved　him　too　well；　
and；　above　all；　that　he　was　too　considerate　a　man　to　have　
communicated　to　him　anything　of　the　contents　of　the　parcel；　
well　knowing　that　such　a　confidence　would　only　have　caused　
anxiety　to　him　who　received　it。　

To　this　it　was　objected　that；　if　De　Witt　had　wished　to　act　
in　such　a　way；　he　would　have　added　to　the　parcel；　in　case　of　
accidents；　a　certificate　setting　forth　that　his　godson　was　
an　entire　stranger　to　the　nature　of　this　correspondence；　or　
at　least　he　would　during　his　trial　have　written　a　letter　to　
him；　which　might　be　produced　as　his　justification。　

Cornelius　replied　that　undoubtedly　his　godfather　could　not　
have　thought　that　there　was　any　risk　for　the　safety　of　his　
deposit；　hidden　as　it　was　in　a　press　which　was　looked　upon　
as　sacred　as　the　tabernacle　by　the　whole　household　of　Van　
Baerle；　and　that　consequently　he　had　considered　the　
certificate　as　useless。　As　to　a　letter；　he　certainly　had　
some　remembrance　that　some　moments　previous　to　his　arrest；　
whilst　he　was　absorbed　in　the　contemplation　of　one　of　the　
rarest　of　his　bulbs；　John　de　Witt's　servant　entered　his　
dry…room；　and　handed　to　him　a　paper；　but　the　whole　was　to　
him　only　like　a　vague　dream；　the　servant　had　disappeared；　
and　as　to　the　paper；　perhaps　it　might　be　found　if　a　proper　
search　were　made。　

As　far　as　Craeke　was　concerned；　it　was　impossible　to　find　
him；　as　he　had　left　Holland。　

The　paper　also　was　not　very　likely　to　be　found；　and　no　one　
gave　himself　the　trouble　to　look　for　it。　

Cornelius　himself　did　not　much　press　this　point；　since；　even　
supposing　that　the　paper　should　turn　up；　it　could　not　have　
any　direct　connection　with　the　correspondence　which　
constituted　the　crime。　

The　judges　wished　to　make　it　appear　as　though　they　wanted　to　
urge　Cornelius　to　make　a　better　defence；　they　displayed　that　
benevolent　patience　which　is　generally　a　sign　of　the　
magistrate's　being　interested　for　the　prisoner；　or　of　a　
man's　having　so　completely　got　the　better　of　his　adversary　
that　he　needs　no　longer　any　oppressive　means　to　ruin　him。　

Cornelius　did　not　accept　of　this　hypocritical　protection；　
and　in　a　last　answer；　which　he　set　forth　with　the　noble　
bearing　of　a　martyr　and　the　calm　serenity　of　a　righteous　
man；　he　said；　　

〃You　ask　me　things；　gentlemen；　to　which　I　can　answer　only　
the　exact　truth。　Hear　it。　The　parcel　was　put　into　my　hands　
in　the　way　I　have　described；　I　vow　before　God　that　I　was；　
and　am　still；　ignorant　of　its　contents；　and　that　it　was　not　
until　my　arrest　that　I　learned　that　this　deposit　was　the　
correspondence　of　the　Grand　Pensionary　with　the　Marquis　de　
Louvois。　And　lastly；　I　vow　and　protest　that　I　do　not　
understand　how　any　one　should　have　known　that　this　parcel　
was　in　my　house；　and；　above　all；　how　I　can　be　deemed　
criminal　for　having　received　what　my　illustrious　and　
unfortunate　godfather　brought　to　my　house。〃　

This　was　Van　Baerle's　whole　defence；　after　which　the　judges　
began　to　deliberate　on　the　verdict。　

They　considered　that　every　offshoot　of　civil　discord　is　
mischievous；　because　it　revives　the　contest　which　it　is　the　
interest　of　all　to　put　down。　

One　of　them；　who　bore　the　character　of　a　profound　observer；　
laid　down　as　his　opinion　that　this　young　man；　so　phlegmatic　
in　appearance；　must　in　reality　be　very　dangerous；　as　under　
this　icy　exterior　he　was　sure　to　conceal　an　ardent　desire　to　
avenge　his　friends；　the　De　Witts。　

Another　observed　that　the　love　of　tulips　agreed　perfectly　
well　with　that　of　politics；　and　that　it　was　proved　in　
history　that　many　very　dangerous　men　were　engaged　in　
gardening；　just　as　if　it　had　been　their　profession；　whilst　
really　they　occupied　themselves　with　perfectly　different　
concerns；　witness　Tarquin　the　Elder；　who　grew　poppies　at　
Gabii；　and　the　Great　Conde；　who　watered　his　carnations　at　
the　dungeon　of　Vincennes　at　the　very　moment　when　the　former　
meditated　his　return　to　Rome；　and　the　latter　his　escape　from　
prison。　

The　judge　summed　up　with　the　following　dilemma：　　

〃Either　Cornelius　van　Baerle　is　a　great　lover　of　tulips；　or　
a　great　lover　of　politics；　in　either　case；　he　has　told　us　a　
falsehood；　first；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　with　
politics　is　proved　by　the　letters　which　were　found　at　his　
house；　and　secondly；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　
with　tulips　is　proved　by　the　bulbs　which　leave　no　doubt　of　
the　fact。　And　herein　lies　the　enormity　of　the　case。　As　
Cornelius　van　Baerle　was　concerned　in　the　growing　of　tulips　
and　in　the　pursuit　of　politics　at　one　and　the　same　time；　the　
prisoner　is　of　hybrid　character；　of　an　amphibious　
organisation；　working　with　equal　ardour　at　politics　and　at　
tulips；　which　proves　him　to　belong　to　the　class　of　men　most　
dangerous　to　public　tranquillity；　and　shows　a　certain；　or　
rather　a　complete；　analogy　between　his　character　and　that　of　
those　master　minds　of　which　Tarquin　the　Elder　and　the　Great　
Conde　have　been　felicitously　quoted　as　examples。〃　

The　upshot　of　all　these　reasonings　was；　that　his　Highness　
the　Prince　Stadtholder