erving
eyes and listening ears. He was never long pent up in the city, or
detained by affairs within the walls of his palace. His business lay
abroad, for the most part; and he came and went continually, on
horseback, throughout every part of the island. Admirable as were his
laws and regulations, and zealously as he was served by his agents of
every description, there was no security for the working of his system
so good as his own frequent presence among the adoring people. The same
love which made him so powerful abroad interfered with his comfort at
home. There were persons ever on the watch for a glimpse of him, eager
to catch every word and every look: and the very rarest of his pleasures
was unwitnessed intercourse with his family.

At length, when Hedouville was gone away from one port, and Rigaud from
another--when neither spy nor foe appeared to remain--it seemed to be
time for him, who had given peace and leisure to everybody else, to
enjoy a little of it himself. He allowed his children, therefore, to
fix a day when he should go with them on a fishing excursion round the
little island of Gonaives, which was a beautiful object from the windows
of the house at Pongaudin, as it lay in the midst of the bay.

The excursion had answered completely. General Vincent, leaving the
south of the island in a state of perfect tranquillity, had arrived to
enjoy his honours in the presence of L'Ouverture and his family. Madame
Dessalines had come over from Saint Marc. As Afra was of the party,
Monsieur Pascal had found it possible to leave his papers for a few
hours. Toussaint had caught as many fish as if he had been Paul
himself. He had wandered away with his girls into the wood, till he was
sent to the boats again by the country people who gathered about him;
and he lay hidden with Denis under the awning of the barge, playing duck
and drake on the smooth water, till the islanders found out where he
was, and came swimming out, to spoil their sport. It was a day too soon
gone: but yet he did not consider it ended when they landed at
Pongaudin, at ten o'clock. The moon was high, the gardens looked
lovely; and he led his wife away from the party, among the green alloys
of the shrubbery.

"I want to know what you think," exclaimed Madame L'Ouverture, as they
emerged from a shaded walk upon a grass plot, on which the light lay,
clear and strong--"I want to ask you"--and as she spoke, she looked
round to see tha