THE TULIPS. 109 



" Well, never mind j they must not be cut down till after 

 a fortnight." 



The man of business carried on the contest, and it fell out 

 exactly as he had foreseen it -would : only the weather became 

 colder, the tulips were not open, and the tulips alone were 

 the object of all these cares : he was obliged to cut down the 

 poplars. Some one advised Arnold to have trees painted on 

 the wall ; that was ugly enough, to be sure, but at this season 

 of the year there was no such thing as planting. 



Mademoiselle Aglai was to come two days after, the twelve 

 tulips were fully out, the weather was magnificent, the garden 

 was filled with all the flowers of the season. Arnold went to 

 call upon M. ESaidt, for Mademoiselle Aglal had said, " We 

 wiU bring two or three of our friends with us ; but nevertheless 

 have somebody there ; it will be more proper." 



M. RIault, he who had declined the roots, was in company 

 with several others who came to see his tulips. He had a 

 wand in his hand, and exhibited them with an emphasis 

 which none can conceive but those who have seen in this 

 situation an amateur of tulips among his blooming flowers. 



The party was assembled under a tent, between two beds 

 of tulips planted in regular rows. M. Kgault stopped for 

 a moment to see who came in, and when he perceived it was 

 only one of the profane, he bade him " Good morning," with a 

 nod, and, without quitting his serious tone and manner, re- 

 sumed his demonstration ; he was then before a tulip of a 

 white ground, streaked with violet. 



" Gentlemen," said he, '•' this is Fandael; it is a pearl of 

 the Tdnd; it is not in all its beauty; the month of April was 

 cruel for our plants, and March was perfidious." 



" This is Joseph Deschiens; we know nothing to be com- 

 pared to this superb plant; the ground is white, and the 

 stripes violet." 



" But," interrupted Arnold, " was not that which you de- 

 scribed just now, and which you called Vandael, likewise white 

 and violet?" M. ESault smiled disdainfully, looked at the 

 other spectators, and, without condescending to reply to 

 Arnold, continued, — 



" Here is GIimIc, white and violet, a magnificent plant of 

 seventh line." 



