me in
representing the infamy of the marquis, and was comforted by the
assurance of his youthful guest, that he would visit those who had
abused the confidence of the king with the severest punishment, and
not only so, but would place himself at the head of the islands to
resist any attempt at invasion by the English.

These loyal and generous intentions, which Nadau did not fail to make
public, increased the general enthusiasm, and rumours of the plot
which was hatching reached Fort St. Pierre, where the Marquis de Caylus
had his head-quarters. He at once sent a mandate to Nadau, ordering the
stranger before him. A message of similar purport was also sent to the
youth himself, addressed to the Count de Tarnaud. Upon receiving it he
turned to the officers who had brought it, saying--"Tell your master
that to the rest of the world I am the Count de Tarnaud, but that to
him I am Hercules Renaud d'Est. If he wishes to see me let him come
half-way. Let him repair to Fort Royal in four or five days. I will be
there."

This bold reply seems to have completely disconcerted De Caylus. He
had already heard of the stranger's striking resemblance to the
Duchess de Penthievre, and the assumption of this haughty tone to an
officer of his own rank staggered him. He set out for Fort Royal, but
changed his mind on the way, and returned to St. Pierre. The prince, on
the other hand, kept his appointment, and not finding the marquis,
proceeded to Fort St. Pierre, which he entered in triumph, attended by
seventeen or eighteen gentlemen. The governor caught a glimpse of him
as he passed through the streets, and exclaimed "that he was the very
image of his mother and sister," and in a panic quitted the town.
Nothing could have been more fortunate than his flight. The prince
assumed all the airs of royalty, and proceeded to establish a petty
court, appointing state officers to wait upon him. The Marquis
d'Eragny he created his grand equerry; Duval Ferrol and Laurent
'Dufont were his gentlemen-in-waiting; and the faithful Rhodez was
constituted his page. Regular audiences were granted to those who came
to pay their respects to him, or to present memorials or petitions,
and for a time Martinique rejoiced in the new glory which this
illustrious presence shed upon it.

It so happened that the Duc de Penthievre was the owner of
considerable estates in the colony, which were under the care of a
steward named Lievain. This man, who seems to have