s.
They persuaded themselves, and believed of each other, that their grief
was for the fearful death of the king; and they spoke as if this had
been really the case.

"We have no one to look up to, now," said Margot, sobbing; "no one to
protect us. Who would have thought, when I married, how desolate we
should be one day on the sea-shore--with our master at Baltimore, and
the king dead, and no king likely to come after him! What will become
of us?"

"But Margot," interposed Dessalines, "how should we be better off at
this moment, if the king were alive and flourishing at Paris?"

"How?" repeated Margot, indignantly. "Why, he would have been our
protector, to be sure. He would have done some fine thing for my
husband, considering what my husband has done for him. If our beloved
king (on his throne) knew of my husband's victory at Plaisance, and of
his expedition to Saint Marc, and of his keeping quiet all these
plantations near Marmalade, and of the thousands that he had brought
over from the rebels, do you think a good master like the king would
have left us to pine here among the rocks, while Jean Francais is
boasting all day long, as if he had done everything with his own hand?
No, our good king would never have let Jean Francais' wife dress herself
in the best jewels the white ladies left behind, while the wife and
daughters of his very best officer are living here in a hut, on a rock,
with no other clothes to wear than they brought away from Breda. No,
no; as my husband says, in losing the king we are orphans."

"I can get you as good clothes as ever Jean's wife wore, Margot," said
Paul, whose soft heart was touched by her grief. "I can run my boat
along to a place I know of, where there are silks and trinkets to be
had, as well as brandy. I will bring you and the girls some pretty
dresses, Margot."

"No, Paul, not here. We cannot wear them here. And we shall have no
pleasure in anything, now we have lost the only one who could take care
of us. And who knows whether we shall ever see our boys again?"

"Curse the war!" muttered Paul, wiping his brows.

"Mother," said Aimee in a low voice, "have we not God to protect us
still? One master may desert us, and another may die; but there is
still God above all. Will not he protect us?"

"Yes, my dear. God takes care of the world; but then He takes care of
our enemies as well as of us."

"Does he?" exclaimed Denis, in a tone of surprise.

"Yes; as