Part 28 (1/2)

At the other, Cornelius, panting for breath, silent, and his attention, his eyes, his life, his heart, his love, quite concentrated on the black tulip

And thirdly, standing on a raised step airl, dressed in fine scarlet woollen cloth, embroidered with silver, and covered with a lace veil, which fell in rich folds froold brocade; in one word, Rosa, who, faint and with swi on the arm of one of the officers of William

The Prince then slowly unfolded the parchh low, made itself perfectly heard amidst the respectful silence, which all at once arrested the breath of fifty thousand spectators -- ”You knohat has brought us here?

”A prize of one hundred thousand guilders has been prorow the black tulip

”The black tulip has been grown; here it is before your eyes, coramme of the Horticultural Society of Haarleroill be inscribed in the book of honour of the city

”Let the person approach to who these words, the Prince, to judge of the effect they produced, surveyed with his eagle eye the three extre forward He saw Cornelius make an involuntarycare of Rosa lead, or rather push her forward towards hiht and left of the Prince

Boxtel, thunderstruck, and Cornelius, in joyful amazement, both exclaimed, -- ”Rosa! Rosa!”

”This tulip is yours, is it not, neur,” staeneral murmur of applause

”Oh!” muttered Cornelius, ”she has then belied me, when she said this floas stolen from her Oh! that's why she left Loewestein Alas! aht hed Boxtel, ”I am lost”

”This tulip,” continued the Prince, ”will therefore bear the naue under the title, Tulipa nigra Rosa Barlaensis, because of the name Van Baerle, which will henceforth be the name of this damsel”

And at the same ti man, who rushed forth, pale and beyond hi alternately the Prince and his bride; and ith a grateful look to heaven, returned his thanks to the Giver of all this happiness

At the same moment there fell at the feet of the President van Systens another man, struck down by a very different emotion

Boxtel, crushed by the failure of his hopes, lay senseless on the ground

When they raised him, and examined his pulse and his heart, he was quite dead

This incident did not much disturb the festival, as neither the Prince nor the President seemed to mind it much

Cornelius started back in disnised his neighbour, Isaac Boxtel, whom, in the innocence of his heart, he had not for one instant suspected of such a wicked action