THE TTJLIPS. 113 



worst of evils, until the moment in whioli reality comes to 

 make us regret imcertainty." Arnold was stupefied by the 

 blow; sometimes he remained sad and silent; and then he 

 gave himself up to flights of very little probable and ill- 

 sustained gaiety. He was joked about his painted wall, and 

 his trees in oil, and at length they came to the tulips — the 

 dozen tulips! They were tulips taken at hazard, and. differ- 

 ing widely from each other. One was entirely of a beautiful 

 yellow ; another opened its calyx with so brilliant a red that 

 the eye could not dwell upon it; this had a yellow ground, 

 and upon this yellow ground were spread brown. and black 

 stripes ; two of them had a white ground, like those of M. KSault, 

 and of these two, one was streaked with violet, and the other 

 with rose colour. M. E6ault and M. Dulaurier looked -at each 

 other. M. Dulaurier smiled; but M. Elault, after several iU- 

 repressed efforts, finished by giving vent to most violent 

 explosions of laughter. The two ladies and Arnold looked 

 at each other with some inquietude, fearing that he was seized 

 with an attack of insanity ; but, after five or six minutes, he 

 recovered the power of speaking, although his words were 

 interrupted by fresh peals of laughter, — "Ah, my dear Arnold, 

 I am laughing too much, it makes me ill ! — You call these ?" 



« Parbleu! why, tulips!" 



" Tulips, my dear Sir ! you will choke me, parole d^honneur," 

 and off he went with a fresh fit of laughter. Arnold, who 

 had, for other reasons, so much anger rankling in his heart, 

 was but too happy to have an opportunity of showing ill- 

 humour to some one ; he only regretted that this same one 

 was not M. Dulaurier. For want of a better subject, however, 

 he coldly asked M. Elault if he would be kind enough, when 

 his fit was over, to explain to him the subject of it. 



" Oh, my dear Sir, don't be angry with me; really it is not 

 my fault. I should be vexed beyond measure to offend you ; 

 but really this is too droU ! particularly if you could but have, 

 seen yourself, when you told me that you called these tulips." 



" But you. Sir; what name do you give these flowers?" 



" What name ! my dear Sir ; I don't give them any name ; 

 they do not deserve one. Listen ; Monsieur Dulaurier, speak — 

 give your opinion ; for I am anxious that M. Arnold should 

 know that it is not I alone who consider his tulips rather 



