d request the hospitality of the noble owner. I have
no doubt that he will be enchanted to afford it when he discovers that
we are officers and gentlemen."

We turned aside through a gateway which led to the mansion. It was a
large, low edifice surrounded by a broad verandah, a flight of stone
steps leading to the principal entrance. As we rode up a thin old
gentleman, with a powdered wig, long-tailed coat, silk breeches and
diamond buckles, appeared at the top of the steps and summoned a troop
of negroes, who rushed forward to assist us to dismount and to hold our
mules.

"This is treating us with proper respect," observed O'Driscoll, assuming
an air of as much dignity as he could command, and, mounting the steps,
he commenced an address, which the old gentleman, in spite of his
politeness, showed that he could not possibly comprehend. I could
command a few sentences in French by this time, so I tried to explain
that we were travelling towards Ou Trou, and that we were uncertain of
our way. He said something about commissionaires. I suspect he took us
for Americans. However, he politely invited us into a large airy room
covered with mats, and made us sit down on a cool cane-bottomed sofa and
had sweetmeats and cakes and delicious cool wine and water brought in,
and then he produced a bundle of unexceptionable cigars, and we were
speedily made very happy and comfortable. We smoked and laughed and
talked away, but I doubt that our host understood anything we said.
This was all very pleasant, and we enjoyed it amazingly. At length the
ladies of our host's family arrived. They had been driving round the
estate--it was a large sugar one--in a volante, jogging and jolting, I
doubt not, for the roads, if so they might be called, were execrable--a
fine thing for the bile, as O'Driscoll observed.

The ladies looked as if their drive had agreed with them, for they were
full of life and animation and courtesy and kindness. A French creole
is really a very handsome creature--I mean those of the softer sex. The
men are generally dried-parchment, shrivelled-up-looking little
monstrosities. I cannot account for the difference. We made out that
there was _madame la mere_ and three daughters, and a brace of cousins.
They must have had a couple of volantes or more, for the mother would
have amply filled the half of one at least, and two of the daughters
would have required a capacious vehicle to convey them, independent