r Rosa's room
by means of a false key.

Thus envy urged Boxtel on with rapid steps in the career of crime.

Boxtel, as we have said, was alone with the tulip.

A common thief would have taken the pot under his arm, and carried it
off.

But Boxtel was not a common thief, and he reflected.

It was not yet certain, although very probable, that the tulip would
flower black; if, therefore, he stole it now, he not only might be
committing a useless crime, but also the theft might be discovered in
the time which must elapse until the flower should open.

He therefore--as being in possession of the key, he might enter Rosa's
chamber whenever he liked--thought it better to wait and to take it
either an hour before or after opening, and to start on the instant to
Haarlem, where the tulip would be before the judges of the committee
before any one else could put in a reclamation.

Should any one then reclaim it, Boxtel would in his turn charge him or
her with theft.

This was a deep-laid scheme, and quite worthy of its author.

Thus, every evening during that delightful hour which the two lovers
passed together at the grated window, Boxtel entered Rosa's chamber to
watch the progress which the black tulip had made towards flowering.

On the evening at which we have arrived he was going to enter according
to custom; but the two lovers, as we have seen, only exchanged a few
words before Cornelius sent Rosa back to watch over the tulip.

Seeing Rosa enter her room ten minutes after she had left it, Boxtel
guessed that the tulip had opened, or was about to open.

During that night, therefore, the great blow was to be struck. Boxtel
presented himself before Gryphus with a double supply of Genievre, that
is to say, with a bottle in each pocket.

Gryphus being once fuddled, Boxtel was very nearly master of the house.

At eleven o'clock Gryphus was dead drunk. At two in the morning Boxtel
saw Rosa leaving the chamber; but evidently she held in her arms
something which she carried with great care.

He did not doubt that this was the black tulip which was in flower.

But what was she going to do with it? Would she set out that instant to
Haarlem with it?

It was not possible that a young girl should undertake such a journey
alone during the night.

Was she only going to show the tulip to Cornelius? This was more likely.

He followed Rosa in his stocking feet, walking on tiptoe.

He saw her approach the grated window.