indulged the
children, and always bought my young guinea-fowl, and--"

"I know that. All that will not prevent the mischief of helping him
away. Toussaint ought to have seen that if we send our masters to all
the four sides of the world, they will bring the world down upon us."

"Perhaps Toussaint did see it," said the man himself, from the other
side of his wife's horse. "But he saw another thing, too--that any
whites who stayed would be murdered."

"That is true enough; and murdered they ought to be. They are a race of
tyrants and rebels that our warm island hates."

"Nobody hated Monsieur Bayou," said Margot.

"Yes, I did. Every one who loves the blacks hates the whites."

"I think not," said Toussaint. "At least, it is not so with Him who
made them both. He is pleased with mercy, Jacques, and not with
murder."

Jacques laughed, and muttered something about the priests having been
brought in by the whites for a convenience; to which Toussaint merely
replied that it was not a priest, nor an ally of white masters, who
forgave His enemies on the cross.

"Father," said Placide, joining the group, "why is Jean commanding your
march? He speaks to you as if you were under him."

"Because he considers it his march."

"He praised your father--very much, Placide," said his mother.

"Yes--just as if my father were under him--as if the march were not
ours. We began it."

"I command those who began it--that is, my own family, Placide. I
command you to obey Jean, while you are with him. On the other side the
river, you shall be commander, all the way to your uncle's house. You
will follow his lead, Margot?"

"Oh, yes, if he leads straight. Jean is a commander, Placide. Look at
his cocked hat."

"And he calls himself commander-in-chief of the armies of France."

"In Saint Domingo. Well, so he is," said Toussaint, smiling, and
pointing to the troop. "Here are the armies of the King of France in
Saint Domingo; and here Jean commands."

At this moment, Jean made proclamation for Toussaint Breda; and
Toussaint joined him, leaving his wife saying, "You see he wants my
husband at every turn. I am sure he thinks a great deal of my husband."

"Toussaint," said Jean, "I shall introduce you to the Marquis d'Hermona;
and I have no doubt he will give you a command."

"I shall introduce myself to him, Jean."

"But he will be expecting you. He will receive you according to my
report--as a man of ability