hundred thousand guilders. The news had spread
like wildfire through the town.

Rosa had not a little difficulty is penetrating a second time into the
office of Mynheer van Systens, who, however, was again moved by the
magic name of the black tulip.

But when he recognised Rosa, whom in his own mind he had set down as
mad, or even worse, he grew angry, and wanted to send her away.

Rosa, however, clasped her hands, and said with that tone of honest
truth which generally finds its way to the hearts of men,--

"For Heaven's sake, sir, do not turn me away; listen to what I have to
tell you, and if it be not possible for you to do me justice, at least
you will not one day have to reproach yourself before God for having
made yourself the accomplice of a bad action."

Van Systens stamped his foot with impatience; it was the second time
that Rosa interrupted him in the midst of a composition which stimulated
his vanity, both as a burgomaster and as President of the Horticultural
Society.

"But my report!" he cried,--"my report on the black tulip!"

"Mynheer van Systens," Rosa continued, with the firmness of innocence
and truth, "your report on the black tulip will, if you don't hear me,
be based on crime or on falsehood. I implore you, sir, let this Master
Boxtel, whom I assert to be Master Jacob, be brought here before you and
me, and I swear that I will leave him in undisturbed possession of the
tulip if I do not recognise the flower and its holder."

"Well, I declare, here is a proposal," said Van Systens.

"What do you mean?"

"I ask you what can be proved by your recognising them?"

"After all," said Rosa, in her despair, "you are an honest man, sir; how
would you feel if one day you found out that you had given the prize to
a man for something which he not only had not produced, but which he had
even stolen?"

Rosa's speech seemed to have brought a certain conviction into the heart
of Van Systens, and he was going to answer her in a gentler tone, when
at once a great noise was heard in the street, and loud cheers shook the
house.

"What is this?" cried the burgomaster; "what is this? Is it possible?
have I heard aright?"

And he rushed towards his anteroom, without any longer heeding Rosa,
whom he left in his cabinet.

Scarcely had he reached his anteroom when he cried out aloud on seeing
his staircase invaded, up to the very landing-place, by the multitude,
which was accompanying, or rather following