The Hour and the Man Part 19

Toussaint took from among the papers on the table a letter brought, as Gauthier alleged, from the English commander, Sir Thomas Brisbane, declaring Gauthier empowered to treat for the delivery to the British of the posts of Gonaives, Les Verrettes, and some others, in order to secure to the British the freedom of the windward pa.s.sage. Toussaint declared that the messengers had brought with them bags of money, with which they had endeavoured to bribe him to this treachery. He asked of them if this were not true.

"It is," said Gauthier; "but we and our authorities acted upon the precedent of your former conduct."

"What former conduct? Did those hands ever receive gold from the coffers of an enemy? Speak freely. You shall not suffer from anything you may say here."

"You have been the means by which posts have been delivered to an enemy.

We remember hearing of the surrender of Marmalade, Gros Morne, and some others."

"I was the means, as you say; but it was done by a wiser will and a stronger hand than mine. In that transaction my heart was pure. My design was to lose rank, and to return to poverty by the step I took.

You ought to have inquired into facts, clearly understood by all who know me, before you proceeded to insult me. Have you more to say?"

"It was natural that we should believe that he through whom posts had been delivered would deliver posts again; and this was confirmed by rumours, and I believe, even by letters which seemed to come from yourself, in relation to the posts now in question."

Gauthier appealed to his companions, who all a.s.sented.

"There are other rumours concerning me," said Toussaint, "which could not be perverted; and to these you should have listened. My actions are messages addressed to the whole world--letters which cannot be forged; and these alone you should have trusted. Such misunderstanding as yours could hardly have been foreseen; but it will be my fault, if it be repeated. The name of the First of the Blacks must never again be a.s.sociated with bribery. You are sentenced by a military commission, before which your doc.u.ments have been examined, to run the gauntlet.

The sentence will immediately be executed in the Place d'Armes."

"Are you aware," cried Gauthier, "that I was second in command at Saint Marc when it was in the possession of the British?"

"I am aware of it."

"This is enmity to our colour," said another. "To our being mulattoes we owe our disgrace."

"I have beloved friends of your colour," said Toussaint. "Believe me, however, the complexion of your souls is so disgusting that I have no attention to spare for your faces. You must now depart."

"Change our punishment!" said Gauthier. "Consider that I am an emigrant officer. Some other punishment!"

"No other," said Toussaint. "This is the fit punishment--mean as your design--ridiculous as your attempt. Are the French Commissaries in waiting, Laroche? Let them be announced."

The prisoners were removed by one door, while the imposing party from France entered by the other.

Commissary Hedouville, who had been for some time resident at Cap Francais, entered, followed by a party of his countrymen, just arrived from Paris. There was among them one, at sight of whom Toussaint's countenance changed, while an exclamation was heard from the piazza, which showed that his family were moved like himself. The person who excited this emotion was a young black officer, who entered smiling, and as if scarcely able to keep his place behind the Commissary, and General Michel, the head of the new deputation.

The Commander-in-chief quitted his station, and advanced some steps, seizing the officer's hand, and asking eagerly--

"Vincent! Why here? My boys--how, where are they?"

"They are well: both well and happy in our beloved Paris. I am here with General Michel; sent by the government, with gifts and compliments, which--"

"Which we will speak of when I have offered my welcome to these representatives of the government we all obey," said Toussaint, turning to the Commissary and the General, and remembering that his emotions as a father had caused him, for the moment, to lose sight of the business of the hour. He made himself the usher of the French Commissaries to the sofa, in front of which he had himself been standing. There he would have seated Hedouville and General Michel. Hedouville threw himself down willingly enough; but the newly arrived messenger chose to stand.

"I come," said he, "the bearer to you of honours from the Republic, which I delight to present as the humblest of your servants.--Not a word of apology for your graceful action of welcome to Brigadier-General Vincent! What so graceful as the emotions of a parent's heart? I understand--I am aware--he went out as the guardian of your sons; and your first welcome was, therefore, due to him. The office of guardian of your sons is, ought to be, in your eyes, more important, more sacred, than that of Commissary, or any other. If our national Deliverer--if the conqueror of Italy--if our First Consul himself were here, he ought to step back while you embrace the guardian of your sons."

The party in the piazza saw and heard all.

"If," said Madame, in a whisper to Genifrede, "if these honours that they speak of come from Bonaparte--if he has answered your father's letter, your father will think his happiness complete--now we know that the boys are well."

"The First Consul has written, or will write, no doubt," said Aimee.

"It must be pleasant to him as to my father, to greet a brother in destiny and in glory. Surely General Vincent will come and speak to us; will tell us of my brothers! He looked this way just now."

"The First Consul will not write," said Moyse. "He is a white; and therefore, though a brother in destiny and in glory, he will not notice the Commander-in-chief of Saint Domingo."

"You are right, Moyse," said Madame Dessalines. "And it is best so."

"But that will disappoint my husband very much," said Madame. "He likes the whites better than you do."

"He does," said Therese. "But let us listen."

Hedouville was at the moment exerting himself to introduce his secretary, Monsieur Pascal.

"An honoured name," observed Toussaint.

"And not only in name, but by blood connected with the great man you refer to," said Hedouville.

"None are more welcome here," said Toussaint, "than those who bring with them the honours of piety, of reason, and of science." And he looked with deep interest upon the countenance of the secretary, which did in truth show signs of that thoughtfulness and sagacity, though not of the morbid suffering, which is a.s.sociated in all minds with the image of the author of the Provinciales. Monsieur Pascal returned the gaze which was fixed upon him with one in which intense curiosity was mingled with doubt, if not fear. His countenance immediately, however, relaxed into an expression of pleased surprise. During this brief moment, these two men, so unlike--the elderly, toil-worn negro, and the young, studious Frenchman--felt that they were friends.

Monsieur Pascal stepped aside to make way for Monsieur Moliere.

"Are we to welcome in you," asked Toussaint, "a messenger of mirth to our society?"

The group of Frenchmen could scarcely restrain their laughter at this question. Monsieur Moliere had a most lugubrious countenance--a thing not always inconsistent with a merry humour: but Monsieur Moliere's heart was believed never to have laughed, any more than his face. He answered, as if announcing a misfortune, that he claimed no connection with the dramatist, though he believed some of his family had attempted to do so.

"Monsieur Moliere discharges the duty of a pious descendant, however,"

said Vincent. "He laughs himself into such a state of exhaustion every night over those immortal comedies, that he has to be carried to bed.

That is the reason we see him so grave in the morning."

"Think of Monsieur Moliere as a trusted secretary of the messenger from the republic to yourself," said General Michel.

"I come," said Michel, a.s.suming a pompous tone, "I come a.s.sociated with an officer of the republican army, Monsieur Petion--a native of this colony, but a stranger to yourself."

Monsieur Petion paid his respects. He was a mulatto, with shy and reserved manners, and an exceedingly intellectual countenance.

"We lost you early," said Toussaint; "but only to offer you the warmer welcome back. It was, as I remember, to attend the military schools of France that you left your home. Such scholars are welcome here."

"And particularly," observed Michel, "when they have also had the fortune to serve in the army of Italy, and immediately under the eye of the First Consul himself."

"Is it so? Is it really so?" exclaimed Toussaint. "I can never hear enough of the ruler of France. Tell us--but that must be hereafter. Do you come to me from him?"

"From the government generally," replied Petion.

An expression of disappointment, very evident to his watchful wife, pa.s.sed over the face of Toussaint.

"There is no letter," she whispered to Genifrede.

"We bring you from the government," said Michel, "a confirmation of the dignity of Commander-in-chief of this colony, conferred by Commissary Santhonax."

Toussaint bowed, but smiled not.