y my husband told me that Rochambeau
was so near. We must prepare for the wounded, my dears. They will be
sent up here--as many as the house will hold, and the tents which my
husband is sending up. We must be making lint, my dears, and preparing
bandages. My husband has provided simples, and Madame Dessalines will
tell us--Oh dear! what was I about to forget all this!"

"Do not hurry yourself, dear madam," said Afra. "We will take care that
everything is done. With Madame Dessalines to direct us, we shall be
quite prepared. Do not hurry yourself so, I dare say Rochambeau is not
at hand at this moment."

At the very next moment, however, Euphrosyne's countenance showed that
she was by no means certain of this. Madame L'Ouverture stood still to
listen, in her agitated walk about the room. There were distant shouts
heard, and a bustle and buzz of voices, within and about the house,
which made Euphrosyne empty her lap of the shaddocks she was peeling,
and run out for news.

"Joy! Joy!" she cried, returning. "Maurepas is coming. We can see his
march from the station. His army has crossed the river. Make haste,
Afra. Dear madam, will you go with me to the station?"

"No, my love," said Madame, sitting down, trembling.

"We can go as slowly as you like. There is plenty of time. You need
not hurry; and it will be a glorious sight."

"No, my dear. Do you young people go. But, Euphrosyne, are you quite
sure it is not Rochambeau?"

"Oh, dear, yes! quite certain. They come from the south, and have
crossed the Artibonite; they come from the very point they ought to come
from. It is good news, you may rely upon it; the best possible news."

"I am thankful," said Madame, in a low, sad voice. "Go, my dears. Go,
and see what you can."

All who could leave the house, or the post of duty--that is, all but the
two prisoners, the sentries, and Madame--were at the station, or on
their way to it. The first notice had been given, it appeared, by some
huntsmen who had brought in game.

"My boys!" said Madame Bellair, "what a pity they should miss this
sight! only that, I suppose, we could not keep Juste within bounds. He
would be off to the camp before we could stop him. It may be a
fortunate chance that he is on the northern hills instead of the
southern, to-day; but I am sorry for my little Tobie. Whereabouts are
they, I wonder. Has any one seen them within these two hours?"

The hunters had parted wit