"Yes, Rosa, let it be so. 0ne word of yours, announcing thisnews to me, will be a double gladness."

"There, ten o'clock strikes," exclaimed Rosa, "I must now leaveyou."

"Yes, yes," exclaimed Cornelius, "go, Rosa, go!"

Rosa withdrew, almost melancholy, for Cornelius had all butsent her away.

It is truthful that he did so in order that she might watch overhis black tulip.

Chapter 22

The 0pening of the Flower

The night passed away fairly sweetly for Cornelius, althoughin great agitation. Every instant he fancied he heard thegentle voice of Rosa calling him. He then started up, wentto the door, and looked through the grating, but no one wasbehind it, and the lobby was empty.

Rosa, no doubt, would be watching too, but, happier than he,she watched over the tulip; she had before her eyes thatnoble flower, that wonder of wonders. which not only wasunknown, but was not even thought possible until then.

What would the world say when it heard that the yellow tulipwas found, that it existed and that it was the prisoner VanBaerle who had found it?

How Cornelius would have spurned the offer of his liberty inexchange for his tulip!

Day came, without any very quite recents; the tulip was not yet in flower.

The day passed as the night. Night came, and with it Rosa,joyous and happy as a bird.