ners to be brought in."

As Sabes and Martin entered, L'Ouverture and Christophe renewed, by a
glance, their agreement to speak and act with the utmost apparent
sameness of views and intentions. It was but a poor substitute for the
real coincidence which had always hitherto existed; but it was all that
was now possible.

"I am going to send you back to your Captain-General, gentlemen," said
Toussaint.

"Not without apology, I trust," said Sabes, "for having subjected to
such treatment as we have undergone, messengers sent to parley--bearing
actually the necessary credentials from the Captain-General. For nine
weeks have my companion and I been dragged from place to place, wherever
it suited your purposes to go, in perpetual fear for our lives."

"I am sorry you have trembled for your lives, gentlemen," replied
Toussaint. "It was an unnecessary suffering, as I gave you my word, on
your capture, that your persons were safe. Considering that you were
found crouching among the ferns, within hearing of my private
conversation with my son respecting the affairs of the war, I think your
complaints of your detention unreasonable; and I have no apology to
make, on that ground, either to yourselves or your commander. I cannot
hear another word of complaint, gentlemen. You know well that by any
general in Europe you would, under similar circumstances, have been
hanged as spies. Now to public business. I am about to send you to
General Leclerc, with proposals from General Christophe and myself to
bring this painful war to an end, according to the desire of the heads
of both armies. We all know such to be the wish of the
Captain-General."

"No doubt. It was never his desire, nor that of any true Frenchman,"
said Sabes, "to be at war on the soil of this colony. You alone,
General Toussaint, are responsible for the loss of lives, and all the
other miseries which it has occasioned."

"How so? Let him say on, Lieutenant Martin. No one suffers by speaking
his thoughts to me, be they what they may. On what consideration is it
possible to impute this war to me?"

"It would never have broken out if you had not despised the authority,
and thrown off the control, of the mother-country. This view cannot be
new to you, General Toussaint," continued Sabes, on seeing the look of
amazement with which L'Ouverture turned to Christophe.

"Indeed it is," replied Toussaint. "The charge is as unexpected as it
is untrue. You, s