ld as
hostages in the interior; and so orderly and well-planned had been his
proceedings, that not the slightest personal injury was sustained by any
individual. Of this conflagration, Toussaint had been a witness from
the heights of Gros Morne. The horror which it occasioned was for the
strangers alone. All the movable property of the citizens was safe in
the interior: and they were all safe in person. The dismay was for the
French, when they found only a burning soil, tumbling roofs, and
tottering walls, where they had expected repose and feasting after the
ennui of a voyage across the Atlantic. For the court ladies, there
existed at present only the alternative of remaining on board the ships,
of which they were heartily weary, and establishing themselves on the
barren island of Tortuga, the home of the buccaneers of former days.
They shortly after took possession of Tortuga, which they found to be a
tropical region indeed, but no paradise. It was not the best season for
turtle; and there was no other of the luxuries whose savour had reached
the nostrils of the court of France.

Among the two thousand whites removed from Cap were, of course, the
ladies of the convent. They were safely established under shelter of
the fortifications of Saint Marc, with all their little comforts about
them, and their mocking-bird as tuneful as when hanging in its own
orange-tree. Euphrosyne was not with them--nor yet with her guardian.
Monsieur Critois had enough to do to protect himself and his lady; and
he earnestly desired his ward to be thankful that she had friends among
the ruling powers. Euphrosyne needed no commands on this head. She
joined Madame Pascal, and was now with her and the secretary in the
half-camp, half-household of Pongaudin.

Besides the family and establishment of the Commander-in-chief, as many
of the white gentry of Cap were accommodated as the country palace of
Pongaudin would contain. It seemed doubtful how long they would have to
find amusement for themselves there; for the invaders seemed to have
fallen asleep. A month had passed since the burning of Cap, and not
another step had been taken. Expectation had begun to be weary. The
feverish watching for news had begun to relax; the ladies no longer
shuddered at the bare idea of walking in the shrubberies; and some of
the younger damsels had begun to heed warnings from L'Ouverture himself
not to go out of bounds--by no means to pass the line of