nd besides, the
proclamation had never been issued. Never formally issued, the agent
said; but it had been circulated from hand to hand of those who were
interested in its provisions. Some were, at that moment, preparing to
act upon it; and he feared that mischief might come of it yet. It was
certain that L'Ouverture knew more about claims to deserted estates, and
about the proper regulations as to tillage, than any novice from France
could know; and it was no less certain that he was ever more eager to
gratify the whites than the blacks. It would have been by far the
wisest plan to leave that class of affairs in the hands of the person
who understood them best; and, if he was not much mistaken, the
Government at home would yet rue Hedouville's rashness in acting without
so much as consulting L'Ouverture. Monsieur Revel was so amazed at
finding that L'Ouverture was not only worshipped by romantic young
ladies and freed negroes, but approved and confided in by such practical
and interested whites as his own agent, that he could only say again
what he said every day--that the world was turned upside down, and that
he expected to be stripped, before he died, of Le Bosquet, and of
everything else that he had; so that his poor child would be left
dependent on the charity of France. To this the agent replied, as
usual, that the property had never before been so secure, nor the estate
so prosperous; and that all would go well, if only the Government at
home would employ competent people to write its proclamations.

"Where is this child?" cried Monsieur Revel at last. "I am always kept
waiting by everybody. It is dark already, and the carriage has been
standing this hour. Where is she?"

"Mademoiselle is in the carriage," said Pierre, from the hall. "I made
Prince light the lamps, though he thinks we shall not want them."

"Come, come! let us lose no more time," said Monsieur Revel, as if every
one had not been waiting for him.

Euphrosyne jumped from the carriage, where she had been packing her
basket of eggs, her fruit, and her flowers, so that they might be out of
her grandfather's way. He could not admire any of them, and found them
all in his way. While the road lay under the dark shadow of the groves
on the estate, he cast anxious glances among the tall stems on which the
carriage lamps cast a passing gleam. He muttered a surly good-night to
the negroes who held open the gates; but, when the last of these