the black tulip-第15部分

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Yet　Van　Baerle　made　such　progress　in　the　noble　science　of　

growing　tulips；　which　he　seemed　to　master　with　the　true　

instinct　of　genius；　that　Boxtel　at　last　was　maddened　to　such　

a　degree　as　to　think　of　throwing　stones　and　sticks　into　the　

flower…stands　of　his　neighbour。　But；　remembering　that　he　

would　be　sure　to　be　found　out；　and　that　he　would　not　only　be　

punished　by　law；　but　also　dishonoured　for　ever　in　the　face　

of　all　the　tulip…growers　of　Europe；　he　had　recourse　to　

stratagem；　and；　to　gratify　his　hatred；　tried　to　devise　a　

plan　by　means　of　which　he　might　gain　his　ends　without　being　

compromised　himself。　



He　considered　a　long　time；　and　at　last　his　meditations　were　

crowned　with　success。　



One　evening　he　tied　two　cats　together　by　their　hind　legs　

with　a　string　about　six　feet　in　length；　and　threw　them　from　

the　wall　into　the　midst　of　that　noble；　that　princely；　that　

royal　bed；　which　contained　not　only　the　〃Cornelius　de　Witt；〃　

but　also　the　〃Beauty　of　Brabant；〃　milk…white；　edged　with　

purple　and　pink；　the　〃Marble　of　Rotterdam；〃　colour　of　flax；　

blossoms　feathered　red　and　flesh　colour；　the　〃Wonder　of　

Haarlem；〃　the　〃Colombin　obscur；〃　and　the　〃Columbin　clair　

terni。〃　



The　frightened　cats；　having　alighted　on　the　ground；　first　

tried　to　fly　each　in　a　different　direction；　until　the　string　

by　which　they　were　tied　together　was　tightly　stretched　

across　the　bed；　then；　however；　feeling　that　they　were　not　

able　to　get　off；　they　began　to　pull　to　and　fro；　and　to　wheel　

about　with　hideous　caterwaulings；　mowing　down　with　their　

string　the　flowers　among　which　they　were　struggling；　until；　

after　a　furious　strife　of　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　the　

string　broke　and　the　combatants　vanished。　



Boxtel；　hidden　behind　his　sycamore；　could　not　see　anything；　

as　it　was　pitch…dark；　but　the　piercing　cries　of　the　cats　

told　the　whole　tale；　and　his　heart　overflowing　with　gall　now　

throbbed　with　triumphant　joy。　



Boxtel　was　so　eager　to　ascertain　the　extent　of　the　injury；　

that　he　remained　at　his　post　until　morning　to　feast　his　eyes　

on　the　sad　state　in　which　the　two　cats　had　left　the　

flower…beds　of　his　neighbour。　The　mists　of　the　morning　

chilled　his　frame；　but　he　did　not　feel　the　cold；　the　hope　of　

revenge　keeping　his　blood　at　fever　heat。　The　chagrin　of　his　

rival　was　to　pay　for　all　the　inconvenience　which　he　incurred　

himself。　



At　the　earliest　dawn　the　door　of　the　white　house　opened；　and　

Van　Baerle　made　his　appearance；　approaching　the　flower…beds　

with　the　smile　of　a　man　who　has　passed　the　night　comfortably　

in　his　bed；　and　has　had　happy　dreams。　



All　at　once　he　perceived　furrows　and　little　mounds　of　earth　

on　the　beds　which　only　the　evening　before　had　been　as　smooth　

as　a　mirror；　all　at　once　he　perceived　the　symmetrical　rows　

of　his　tulips　to　be　completely　disordered；　like　the　pikes　of　

a　battalion　in　the　midst　of　which　a　shell　has　fallen。　



He　ran　up　to　them　with　blanched　cheek。　



Boxtel　trembled　with　joy。　Fifteen　or　twenty　tulips；　torn　and　

crushed；　were　lying　about；　some　of　them　bent；　others　

completely　broken　and　already　withering；　the　sap　oozing　from　

their　bleeding　bulbs：　how　gladly　would　Van　Baerle　have　

redeemed　that　precious　sap　with　his　own　blood！　



But　what　were　his　surprise　and　his　delight！　what　was　the　

disappointment　of　his　rival！　Not　one　of　the　four　tulips　

which　the　latter　had　meant　to　destroy　was　injured　at　all。　

They　raised　proudly　their　noble　heads　above　the　corpses　of　

their　slain　companions。　This　was　enough　to　console　Van　

Baerle；　and　enough　to　fan　the　rage　of　the　horticultural　

murderer；　who　tore　his　hair　at　the　sight　of　the　effects　of　

the　crime　which　he　had　committed　in　vain。　



Van　Baerle　could　not　imagine　the　cause　of　the　mishap；　which；　

fortunately；　was　of　far　less　consequence　than　it　might　have　

been。　On　making　inquiries；　he　learned　that　the　whole　night　

had　been　disturbed　by　terrible　caterwaulings。　He　besides　

found　traces　of　the　cats；　their　footmarks　and　hairs　left　

behind　on　the　battle…field；　to　guard；　therefore；　in　future　

against　a　similar　outrage；　he　gave　orders　that　henceforth　

one　of　the　under　gardeners　should　sleep　in　the　garden　in　a　

sentry…box　near　the　flower…beds。　



Boxtel　heard　him　give　the　order；　and　saw　the　sentry…box　put　

up　that　very　day；　but　he　deemed　himself　lucky　in　not　having　

been　suspected；　and；　being　more　than　ever　incensed　against　

the　successful　horticulturist；　he　resolved　to　bide　his　time。　



Just　then　the　Tulip　Society　of　Haarlem　offered　a　prize　for　

the　discovery　（we　dare　not　say　the　manufacture）　of　a　large　

black　tulip　without　a　spot　of　colour；　a　thing　which　had　not　

yet　been　accomplished；　and　was　considered　impossible；　as　at　

that　time　there　did　not　exist　a　flower　of　that　species　

approaching　even　to　a　dark　nut　brown。　It　was；　therefore；　

generally　said　that　the　founders　of　the　prize　might　just　as　

well　have　offered　two　millions　as　a　hundred　thousand　

guilders；　since　no　one　would　be　able　to　gain　it。　



The　tulip…growing　world；　however；　was　thrown　by　it　into　a　

state　of　most　active　commotion。　Some　fanciers　caught　at　the　

idea　without　believing　it　practicable；　but　such　is　the　power　

of　imagination　among　florists；　that　although　considering　the　

undertaking　as　certain　to　fail；　all　their　thoughts　were　

engrossed　by　that　great　black　tulip；　which　was　looked　upon　

to　be　as　chimerical　as　the　black　swan　of　Horace　or　the　white　

raven　of　French　tradition。　



Van　Baerle　was　one　of　the　tulip…growers　who　were　struck　with　

the　idea；　Boxtel　thought　of　it　in　the　light　of　a　

speculation。　Van　Baerle；　as　soon　as　the　idea　had　once　taken　

root　in　his　clear　and　ingenious　mind；　began　slowly　the　

necessary　planting　and　cross…breeding　to　reduce　the　tulips　

which　he　had　grown　already　from　red　to　brown；　and　from　brown　

to　dark　brown。　



By　the　next　year　he　had　obtained　flowers　of　a　perfect　

nut…brown；　and　Boxtel　espied　them　in　the　border；　whereas　he　

had　himself　as　yet　only　succeeded　in　producing　the　light　

brown。　



It　might　perhaps　be　interesting　to　explain　to　the　gentle　

reader　the　beautiful　chain　of　theories　which　go　to　prove　

that　the　tulip　borrows　its　colors　from　the　elements；　perhaps　

we　should　give　him　pleasure　if　we　were　to　maintain　and　

establish　that　nothing　is　impossible　for　a　florist　who　

avails　himself　with　judgment　and　discretion　and　patience　of　

the　sun's　heat；　the　clear　water；　the　juices　of　the　earth；　

and　the　cool　breezes。　But　this　is　not　a　treatise　upon　tulips　

in　general；　it　is　the　story　of　one　particular　tulip　which　we　

have　undertaken　to　write；　and　to　that　we　limit　ourselves；　

however　alluring　the　subject　which　is　so　closely　allied　to　

ours。　



Boxtel；　once　more　worsted　by　the　superiority　of　his　hated　

rival；　was　now　completely　disgusted　with　tulip…growing；　and；　

being　driven　half　mad；　devoted　himself　entirely　to　

observation。　



The　house　of　his　rival　was　quite　open　to　view；　a　garden