he tide; the mangroves sprang out of the
waters; the sea-side grape overspread the sands with a thick green
carpet, and kept them cool, so that as the human foot sought the spot,
the glittering lizards forsook it, and darted away to seek the hot face
of the rock. For full half a mile this patch of verdure spread; and
over this space were dispersed Margot and her household, when Toussaint
crossed the ridge, on one of his frequent visits. As he descended, he
heard laughter and singing; and among the singing voices, the cracked
pipe of old Dessalines. Toussaint grieved to interrupt this mirth, and
to think that he must leave dull and sad those whom he found so gay.
But he came with bad news, and on a mournful errand, and there was no
help for it. As he pricked on his horse towards the party, the young
people set up a shout and began to run towards him, but stopped short on
seeing how unusually large a train he brought. Five or six mounted
soldiers, instead of one, followed him this time, and they led several
horses.

"Oh, you are come to take us home!" cried Margot, joyfully, as she met
him.

He shook his head as he replied--"_No_, Margot, not yet. But the time
may come."

"I wish you could tell us when it would come," said Dessalines. "It is
all very well gathering these things, and calling them grapes, for want
of better; but give me the grapes that yield one wine. I wonder who has
been gathering the grapes from my trellis all this time, while, the
whole rainy season through, not a drop did I taste? I wish you had left
your revolutions and nonsense till after my time, that I might have sat
under my own vine and my own fig-tree, as the priest says, till the end
of my days."

"Indeed I wish so too, Dessalines. But you shall have some wine."

"Ay, send us some. Jacques will tell you what I like. Don't forget,
Toussaint Breda. They talk of palm wine in the season; but I do not
believe we shall get any worth drinking from the palms hereabouts."

"What is the matter with our palms?" cried Moyse, firing up for the
honour of the northern coast. "I will get you a cabbage for dinner
every day for a month to come," he added, moderating his tone under his
uncle's eye--"every day, till you say that our palms, too, are as good
as any you have in the plain; and as for palm wine, when the season
comes--"

"No, let me--let me cut the cabbage!" cried Denis. "I can climb as
quick as a monkey now--a hundred feet in t