o be
valuable. This block had much more than maintained the last De Carlos
through a long and lazy lifetime, and, as his household consisted only
of himself, and an aged and crippled negress, the inference was
irresistible that he "had money." Old Charlie, though by _alias_ an
"Injin," was plainly a dark white man, about as old as Colonel De
Charleu, sunk in the bliss of deep ignorance, shrewd, deaf, and, by
repute at least, unmerciful.

The Colonel and he always conversed in English. This rare
accomplishment, which the former had learned from his Scotch wife,--the
latter from up-river traders,--they found an admirable medium of
communication, answering, better than French could, a similar purpose to
that of the stick which we fasten to the bit of one horse and
breast-gear of another, whereby each keeps his distance. Once in a
while, too, by way of jest, English found its way among the ladies of
Belles Demoiselles, always signifying that their sire was about to have
business with old Charlie.

Now a long-standing wish to buy out Charlie troubled the Colonel. He had
no desire to oust him unfairly; he was proud of being always fair; yet
he did long to engross the whole estate under one title. Out of his
luxurious idleness he had conceived this desire, and thought little of
so slight an obstacle as being already somewhat in debt to old Charlie
for money borrowed, and for which Belles Demoiselles was, of course,
good, ten times over. Lots, buildings, rents, all, might as well be his,
he thought, to give, keep, or destroy. "Had he but the old man's
heritage. Ah! he might bring that into existence which his _belles
demoiselles_ had been begging for, 'since many years;' a home,--and such
a home,--in the gay city. Here he should tear down this row of cottages,
and make his garden wall; there that long rope-walk should give place to
vine-covered ardors; the bakery yonder should make way for a costly
conservatory; that wine warehouse should come down, and the mansion go
up. It should be the finest in the State. Men should never pass it, but
they should say--'the palace of the De Charleus; a family of grand
descent, a people of elegance and bounty, a line as old as France, a
fine old man, and seven daughters as beautiful as happy; whoever dare
attempt to marry there must leave his own name behind him!'

"The house should be of stones fitly set, brought down in ships from the
land of 'les Yankees,' and it should have an airy bel