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第27章

the black tulip-第27章

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〃A little?〃 she said; 〃you make no great pretensions; 

Mynheer Cornelius。〃 



Cornelius tenderly stretched out his hands towards her; but 

they were only able to touch each other with the tips of 

their fingers through the wire grating。 



〃Here is my father;〃 said she。 



Rosa then abruptly drew back from the door; and ran to meet 

old Gryphus; who made his appearance at the top of the 

staircase。 









Chapter 15



The Little Grated Window





Gryphus was followed by the mastiff。 



The turnkey took the animal round the jail; so that; if 

needs be; he might recognize the prisoners。 



〃Father;〃 said Rosa; 〃here is the famous prison from which 

Mynheer Grotius escaped。 You know Mynheer Grotius?〃 



〃Oh; yes; that rogue Grotius; a friend of that villain 

Barneveldt; whom I saw executed when I was a child。 Ah! so 

Grotius; and that's the chamber from which he escaped。 Well; 

I'll answer for it that no one shall escape after him in my 

time。〃 



And thus opening the door; he began in the dark to talk to 

the prisoner。 



The dog; on his part; went up to the prisoner; and; 

growling; smelled about his legs just as though to ask him 

what right he had still to be alive; after having left the 

prison in the company of the Recorder and the executioner。 



But the fair Rosa called him to her side。 



〃Well; my master;〃 said Gryphus; holding up his lantern to 

throw a little light around; 〃you see in me your new jailer。 

I am head turnkey; and have all the cells under my care。 I 

am not vicious; but I'm not to be trifled with; as far as 

discipline goes。〃 



〃My good Master Gryphus; I know you perfectly well;〃 said 

the prisoner; approaching within the circle of light cast 

around by the lantern。 



〃Halloa! that's you; Mynheer van Baerle;〃 said Gryphus。 

〃That's you; well; I declare; it's astonishing how people do 

meet。〃 



〃Oh; yes; and it's really a great pleasure to me; good 

Master Gryphus; to see that your arm is doing well; as you 

are able to hold your lantern with it。〃 



Gryphus knitted his brow。 〃Now; that's just it;〃 he said; 

〃people always make blunders in politics。 His Highness has 

granted you your life; I'm sure I should never have done 

so。〃 



〃Don't say so;〃 replied Cornelius; 〃why not?〃 



〃Because you are the very man to conspire again。 You learned 

people have dealings with the devil。〃 



〃Nonsense; Master Gryphus。 Are you dissatisfied with the 

manner in which I have set your arm; or with the price that 

I asked you?〃 said Cornelius; laughing。 



〃On the contrary;〃 growled the jailer; 〃you have set it only 

too well。 There is some witchcraft in this。 After six weeks; 

I was able to use it as if nothing had happened; so much so; 

that the doctor of the Buytenhof; who knows his trade well; 

wanted to break it again; to set it in the regular way; and 

promised me that I should have my blessed three months for 

my money before I should be able to move it。〃 



〃And you did not want that?〃 



〃I said; 'Nay; as long as I can make the sign of the cross 

with that arm' (Gryphus was a Roman Catholic); 'I laugh at 

the devil。'〃 



〃But if you laugh at the devil; Master Gryphus; you ought 

with so much more reason to laugh at learned people。〃 



〃Ah; learned people; learned people! Why; I would rather 

have to guard ten soldiers than one scholar。 The soldiers 

smoke; guzzle; and get drunk; they are gentle as lambs if 

you only give them brandy or Moselle; but scholars; and 

drink; smoke; and fuddle  ah; yes; that's altogether 

different。 They keep sober; spend nothing; and have their 

heads always clear to make conspiracies。 But I tell you; at 

the very outset; it won't be such an easy matter for you to 

conspire。 First of all; you will have no books; no paper; 

and no conjuring book。 It's books that helped Mynheer 

Grotius to get off。〃 



〃I assure you; Master Gryphus;〃 replied Van Baerle; 〃that if 

I have entertained the idea of escaping; I most decidedly 

have it no longer。〃 



〃Well; well;〃 said Gryphus; 〃just look sharp: that's what I 

shall do also。 But; for all that; I say his Highness has 

made a great mistake。〃 



〃Not to have cut off my head? thank you; Master Gryphus。〃 



〃Just so; look whether the Mynheer de Witt don't keep very 

quiet now。〃 



〃That's very shocking what you say now; Master Gryphus;〃 

cried Van Baerle; turning away his head to conceal his 

disgust。 〃You forget that one of those unfortunate gentlemen 

was my friend; and the other my second father。〃 



〃Yes; but I also remember that the one; as well as the 

other; was a conspirator。 And; moreover; I am speaking from 

Christian charity。〃 



〃Oh; indeed! explain that a little to me; my good Master 

Gryphus。 I do not quite understand it。〃 



〃Well; then; if you had remained on the block of Master 

Harbruck  〃 



〃What?〃 



〃You would not suffer any longer; whereas; I will not 

disguise it from you; I shall lead you a sad life of it。〃 



〃Thank you for the promise; Master Gryphus。〃 



And whilst the prisoner smiled ironically at the old jailer; 

Rosa; from the outside; answered by a bright smile; which 

carried sweet consolation to the heart of Van Baerle。 



Gryphus stepped towards the window。 



It was still light enough to see; although indistinctly; 

through the gray haze of the evening; the vast expanse of 

the horizon。 



〃What view has one from here?〃 asked Gryphus。 



〃Why; a very fine and pleasant one;〃 said Cornelius; looking 

at Rosa。 



〃Yes; yes; too much of a view; too much。〃 



And at this moment the two pigeons; scared by the sight and 

especially by the voice of the stranger; left their nest; 

and disappeared; quite frightened in the evening mist。 



〃Halloa! what's this?〃 cried Gryphus。 



〃My pigeons;〃 answered Cornelius。 



〃Your pigeons;〃 cried the jailer; 〃your pigeons! has a 

prisoner anything of his own?〃 



〃Why; then;〃 said Cornelius; 〃the pigeons which a merciful 

Father in Heaven has lent to me。〃 



〃So; here we have a breach of the rules already;〃 replied 

Gryphus。 〃Pigeons! ah; young man; young man! I'll tell you 

one thing; that before to…morrow is over; your pigeons will 

boil in my pot。〃 



〃First of all you should catch them; Master Gryphus。 You 

won't allow these pigeons to be mine! Well; I vow they are 

even less yours than mine。〃 



〃Omittance is no acquittance;〃 growled the jailer; 〃and I 

shall certainly wring their necks before twenty…four hours 

are over: you may be sure of that。〃 



Whilst giving utterance to this ill…natured promise; Gryphus 

put his head out of the window to examine the nest。 This 

gave Van Baerle time to run to the door; and squeeze the 

hand of Rosa; who whispered to him;  



〃At nine o'clock this evening。〃 



Gryphus; quite taken up with the desire of catching the 

pigeons next day; as he had promised he would do; saw and 

heard nothing of this short interlude; and; after having 

closed the window; he took the arm of his daughter; left the 

cell; turned the key twice; drew the bolts; and went off to 

make the same kind promise to the other prisoners。 



He had scarcely withdrawn; when Cornelius went to the door 

to listen to the sound of his footsteps; and; as soon as 

they had died away; he ran to the window; and completely 

demolished the nest of the pigeons。 



Rather than expose them to the tender mercies of his 

bullying jailer; he drove away for ever those gentle 

messengers to whom he owed the happiness of having seen Rosa 

again。 



This visit of the jailer; his brutal threats; and the gloomy 

prospect of the harshness with which; as he had before 

experienced; Gryphus watched his prisoners;  all this was 

unable to extinguish in Cornelius the sweet thoughts; and 

especially the sweet hope; which the presence 

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