a very little while. He must tell her mother that they should
certainly meet very soon.

In the piazza, at Pongaudin, Toussaint found Christophe.

"I wish," said Christophe, "you would send to Dessalines not only the
Captain-General's message, but your own request that he will yield."

"I cannot, Henri."

"But he may spoil all by holding out."

"I have done what I can in yielding myself. I can do no more."

"You approve our act? Surely you do not repent of what you have done?"

"I cannot repent of what I could not avoid. But enough of business for
to-day, my friend. Where is Madame Christophe? Where are your
children? Bring them here; and let us enjoy leisure and friendship once
more, while we can."

"We will. But, Toussaint, if you could only say that you are satisfied
that we have done what is best, it would relieve me much."

"I cannot, Henri. But, be assured, I fully acquiesce. One has not
always the comfort of being able to acquiesce."

"Can you say, then, that you forgive me, in as far as you think me
wrong?"

"Can you doubt it?" replied Toussaint, turning upon him a countenance
full of frank affection. "Are you not a friend of many years?"

"God forgive me if I have misled you, Toussaint!"

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

SUSPENSE.

Nature wrought with the blacks this season for the fulfilment of their
hopes, and the defence of their precarious liberties. Never, within the
remembrance of the young people at Pongaudin, had the heat set in so
early, and the month of May been so sickly in the towns. To the eyes of
such as Genifrede, who were ever on the watch for signs, it might almost
seem that they saw Pestilence floating, on her poison-dropping wings,
beneath the clouds which sailed from all quarters of the sky to the
mountain-peaks; clouds muttering in thunder, and startling the intruders
with terrific lightnings, from night-to-night. The reports of fever
having broken out here and there among the invaders became more and more
frequent. At first, those who were watching the times the most intently
concluded that, early as the season was, "the wish" must be "father to
the thought," and believed little of what they heard. But before
Toussaint had been ten days at Pongaudin, it was certain that disease
was raging to such an extent among the French troops at Cap, that the
Captain-General had retired to Tortuga, to join his lady, and others of
the expedition who were the most carefully gua