FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  
d the Rosa of his dreams speak of the tulip, but also brought to him a black one in a china vase. Cornelius then awoke, trembling with joy, and muttering,-- "Rosa, Rosa, I love you." And as it was already day, he thought it right not to fall asleep again, and he continued following up the line of thought in which his mind was engaged when he awoke. Ah! if Rosa had only conversed about the tulip, Cornelius would have preferred her to Queen Semiramis, to Queen Cleopatra, to Queen Elizabeth, to Queen Anne of Austria; that is to say, to the greatest or most beautiful queens whom the world has seen. But Rosa had forbidden it under pain of not returning; Rosa had forbidden the least mention of the tulip for three days. That meant seventy-two hours given to the lover to be sure; but it was seventy-two hours stolen from the horticulturist. There was one consolation: of the seventy-two hours during which Rosa would not allow the tulip to be mentioned, thirty-six had passed already; and the remaining thirty-six would pass quickly enough: eighteen with waiting for the evening's interview, and eighteen with rejoicing in its remembrance. Rosa came at the same hour, and Cornelius submitted most heroically to the pangs which the compulsory silence concerning the tulip gave him. His fair visitor, however, was well aware that, to command on the one point, people must yield on another; she therefore no longer drew back her hands from the grating, and even allowed Cornelius tenderly to kiss her beautiful golden tresses. Poor girl! she had no idea that these playful little lovers' tricks were much more dangerous than speaking of the tulip was; but she became aware of the fact as she returned with a beating heart, with glowing cheeks, dry lips, and moist eyes. And on the following evening, after the first exchange of salutations, she retired a step, looking at him with a glance, the expression of which would have rejoiced his heart could he but have seen it. "Well," she said, "she is up." "She is up! Who? What?" asked Cornelius, who did not venture on a belief that Rosa would, of her own accord, have abridged the term of his probation. "She? Well, my daughter, the tulip," said Rosa. "What!" cried Cornelius, "you give me permission, then?" "I do," said Rosa, with the tone of an affectionate mother who grants a pleasure to her child. "Ah, Rosa!" said Cornelius, putting his lips to the grating with the hope
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Cornelius
 

seventy

 

thirty

 
eighteen
 

beautiful

 

evening

 

grating

 

forbidden

 

thought

 

lovers


speaking

 
playful
 

dangerous

 
tricks
 
golden
 

longer

 

people

 

tresses

 

allowed

 

tenderly


venture

 

belief

 

accord

 

affectionate

 

abridged

 
permission
 

daughter

 

probation

 

mother

 

cheeks


glowing

 

pleasure

 
beating
 

putting

 

exchange

 

expression

 

rejoiced

 

grants

 

glance

 

salutations


retired
 
returned
 

quickly

 

Semiramis

 

Cleopatra

 
Elizabeth
 

preferred

 
conversed
 
Austria
 

greatest