a, and the room was cleared.

"I wish," said Paul, "that you had appointed any one but me to be
governor of that city. How should a poor negro fisherman like me govern
a city?"

"You speak like a white, Paul. The whites say of me, `How should a poor
negro postillion govern a colony?' You must do as I do--show that a
negro can govern."

"But Heaven made you for a ruler."

"Who thought so while I was yet a slave? As for you--I know not what
you can do till you have tried; nor do you. I own that you are not the
man I should have appointed, if I had had a choice among all kinds of
men."

"Then look around for some other."

"There is no other, on the whole, so little unfit as you. Henri must
remain in the field while Rigaud is in arms. Jacques--"

"Ay, Dessalines--and he might have a court--such a wife as he would
carry."

"Dessalines must not govern a city of whites. He hates the whites. His
passion of hatred would grow with power; and the Spaniards would be
wretched. They are now under my protection. I must give them a
governor who cannot hate; and therefore I send you. Your love of our
people and of me, my brother, will rouse you to exertion and
self-denial. For the rest you shall have able counsellors on the spot.
For your private guidance, I shall be ever at your call. Confide wholly
in me, and your appeal shall never be unanswered."

"You shall be governor, then. I will wear the robes, and your head
shall do the work. I will amuse the inhabitants with water-parties, and
you--"

"No more of this!" said Toussaint, somewhat sternly. "It seems that you
are unwilling to do your part of the great duty of our age and our race.
Heaven has appointed you the opportunity of showing that blacks are
men--fit to govern as to serve;--and you would rather sleep in the
sunshine than listen to the message from the sky. My own brother does
what he can to deepen the brand on the forehead of the negro!"

"I am ashamed, brother," said Paul, "I am not like you; but yet I will
do what I can. I will go to-morrow, and try whether I can toil as you
do. There is one thing I can do which Henri, and Jacques, and even you,
cannot;--I can speak Spanish."

"You have discovered one of your qualifications, dear Paul. You will
find more. Will you take Moyse with you?"

"Let it be a proof that I can deny myself, that I leave my son with you.
Moyse is passionate."

"I know it," said Toussaint.

"He governs both hi