The Hour and the Man, An Historical Romance

by Harriet Martineau

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

  RECEDING.

  Leclerc was eager to receive proposals of peace,--to owe a respite todissimulation itself, rather than continue the war, under his presentdifficulties. It was weary work, keeping up a show before the eyes ofthe blacks, when, of the twelve thousand soldiers whom he had broughtwith him, five thousand had fallen in battle, and five thousand morewere in the hospitals. Twenty thousand had arrived within a few weeks,from France; and, of these, scarcely eleven thousand remained fit forservice. Happy indeed was Leclerc to receive replies to his overturesof peace; and anxious was he to testify every respect to the generalswhom he had lately insulted and defied. He revoked their outlawry,commending them to the esteem and good offices of those to whom he haddesired to deliver them as traitors. It is true, he transmitted toFrance magnificent accounts of the surrender of the blacks, of theirabject supplications for their lives, and of the skill and prowess bywhich he had subdued the rebels, and restored the colony to France. Butthese boastings were not known in Saint Domingo; though the true stateof the case was whispered in Paris, as regarded the mortality among thewhite troops, and the formidable influence still retained by the negroleaders.

  Leclerc invited Toussaint to visit him at Cap; as well aware, doubtless,as Toussaint himself, that this open indication of amity was necessaryto protect the army from the ill-will of the blacks, who would notbelieve, on any other authority than L'Ouverture's own, that he had madepeace with the invaders.

  It was a mournful, though showy demonstration, and all parties were gladwhen it was over. As L'Ouverture rode from Le Dondon to Cap Francais,followed by a guard of three hundred and fifty horse, he was greeted bythe inhabitants with the profoundest respect. Only in by-places, orfrom the depths of some wood, did a few voices sing, in negro language,the new song which was spreading over the island in praise of August,--exhorting to patience and peace till August. As he entered the town ofCap, the thunder of artillery reverberated from the heights around.Every fort along the coast, every vessel in the roads, fired its salute;and the inhabitants of every colour issued from their houses, to payhonour to their adored L'Ouverture.

  Leclerc stood ready to receive him, and to administer to him the oath ofallegiance in the hall of Government-House, the doors of which stoodwide, and were carefully kept so by Toussaint's own guard, who wouldnot, for a moment, let their commander be hidden from their sight. Theyformed in the Walk, and in the court of Government-House, remaining infighting order, with drawn sabres, during the whole of the interviewbetween the late and the present Commander-in-chief.

  With an unaltered countenance, Toussaint took once more the oath ofallegiance to France;--the oath which it had never been his desire tobreak. He smiled when he heard this simple act proclaimed by anotherroar of artillery, such as might have greeted a victory. Leclercfrowned; for it was not followed, as he had hoped, by acclamations. Theechoes died away into deep silence.

  It was an awkward moment. Leclerc hoped that Toussaint would lead theconversation. But Toussaint was deep in thought. Gazing on the anxiousand sickly face of the Captain-General, he was grieving at heart thathe, and so many thousands more who might have lived long and usefullives at home, should be laid low, in the course of a bad enterpriseagainst the liberties of the natives. The mournful gaze of his mildeyes confused the Captain-General, so that he said the first thing thatoccurred, in order to break the silence. He observed that he understoodthere was some business yet standing over for settlement between theparties who had so happily met at last. He had no doubt that GeneralToussaint would see clearly that in his allegiance to France wasinvolved the duty of accounting to the government for the wealth of theisland, whether open to estimate or concealed in the mornes, orelsewhere.

  "I have heard something of this before," said Toussaint, "and are asignorant as yourself of any buried treasure. In this island, Nature isso perpetually bountiful, that we have not the temptation which we aretold exists elsewhere, to amass wealth against a time of dearth. I haveno treasure."

  "If so, how could you have proposed to remain out of the bounds of thelaw, as you did till lately? Nature is not bountiful on themountain-peaks, which must then have been your abode. At least, Naturedoes not there bring forth arms and ammunition. Without treasure, withwhich to purchase supplies, how would you have obtained arms andammunition?"

  "I should have taken yours."

  Leclerc saw that even his own followers were more disposed to applaudthan resent these words; and he, therefore, changed the topic.

  "It is fortunate, then, for all parties," said he, "that futurestruggles are avoided. We are friends. Let it go abroad through thewhole island that we are friends."

  Toussaint made no reply. Leclerc continued--

  "You, General, and your troops, will be employed and treated like therest of my army. With regard to yourself, you desire repose."--Lookinground, he repeated the words emphatically. "You desire repose: and youdeserve it. After a man has sustained for several years the governmentof Saint Domingo, I apprehend he needs repose. I leave you at libertyto retire to which of your estates you please. I rely so much on theattachment you bear the colony of Saint Domingo, as to believe you willemploy what moments of leisure you may have during your retreat, incommunicating to me your ideas respecting the means proper to be takento cause agriculture and commerce again to flourish. Respecting yourforces, and those of General Christophe, I hold full information. Assoon as a list and statement of the troops under General Dessalines aretransmitted to me, I will communicate my instructions as to thepositions they are to take."

  "I will send a messenger from my guard to General Dessalines, this day,"said Toussaint. "I shall be passing near his post, on my way to myhouse at Pongaudin; and he shall have your message."

  "This day?" said Leclerc, in a tone of some constraint. "Will you notspend this day with us?"

  "I cannot," replied Toussaint. "I must be gone to my home."

  As soon as it was believed that he was fairly out of hearing, the actsof the morning were proclaimed throughout Cap Francais as the pardon ofGenerals Toussaint and Christophe. This proclamation was afterwardspublished, by Leclerc's orders, in the _Gazette du Cap_, where it wasread by Toussaint in his study at Pongaudin.

  "See!" said he, pointing out the paragraph to Pascal, with a smile."This is the way of men with each other. See the complacency with whichone man pardons another for the most necessary, or the best deed of hislife!"

  During a halt on the road to Pongaudin, Isaac and Aimee appeared. Aimeewas tearful, but her face was happy. So were her words.

  "Oh, father!" she said, "who could have hoped, after what has happened,that all would so soon be well!"

  "I am rejoiced to see you happy, my children."

  "And you, father, you are happy? Honoured as you are--the colony atpeace--all parties friends--no more divisions--no more struggles infamilies! Father, answer me. Is it not all well?"

  "No, my child."

  "Are you unhappy, father?"

  "Yes, my child."

  "I am quite disappointed, quite grieved," said Aimee, drawing back fromhis arms, to look in his face.

  "Vincent gave us a glorious account on Tortuga," said Isaac, "of thewelcome you had at Cap. We thought--"

  "I did not see Vincent at Cap."

  "He was not there; but he knew all--"

  "But, father," said Aimee, "you will see General Vincent. You will seehim at Pongaudin. Now that you have done as he did--now that you arefriends with the French, as he is, you will see him, father?"

  "I have never done as Vincent did, Aimee; and my friendship with theFrench is what it ever was. If Vincent comes as your husband, I willsee him as such. As a friend, I cannot. Is he your husband, my love?"

  "No!"

  "He is to be your husband?"

  "If you would see him. If he were your friend. He urges me, father;and Madame Leclerc and Isaac urge me; but I cannot marry him yet.Father, you
do not know how much my heart is with you and my mother."

  "Are you happy, Aimee?"

  "Madame Leclerc is very kind; and Vincent's love is everything thatought to make me happy, but--"

  "Will you go home with me, my child?"

  "How glad I should be, if only you loved Vincent!"

  "I cannot, Aimee. Would that I could!"

  "Then, when I have married him, you will see him as my husband? Icannot marry till my heart is more at ease--till I see everybody asfriendly as Vincent said they were. But when we are married we willcome to Pongaudin. May we?"

  "Come, my dear, when you will. Your parents' home and hearts willalways be open to you. Meantime, write often to us, Aimee."

  "Oh, yes! I will. I will write very often; and you will answer. Ihave heard perpetually of my mother, and of poor Genifrede. But whereis Placide? I thought we should have met him. Was not he at Cap?"

  "At Cap! No, indeed! He was too heart-broken to be at Cap to-day."

  "I wish I could understand it all!" said Aimee, sadly. "I am sure thereare many things that I do not know or comprehend. I thought all hadbeen right now; and yet you and Placide are unhappy. I cannotunderstand it all."

  "Time will explain, my child. There will come a day when all doubtswill be cleared up, and all woes at an end--when the wicked will ceasefrom troubling, love, and the weary be at rest."

  "Must you be going, father, already? Oh! I wish--"

  And she looked at Isaac, as if purposing to go to Pongaudin. Isaac,had, however, promised Madame Leclerc to return by an appointed hour.There could be no difficulty, he said, in going to Pongaudin any day:but to-day he had promised that they would both return to MadameLeclerc. Aimee, therefore, bade her father farewell for the present--only for a very little while. He must tell her mother that they shouldcertainly meet very soon.

  In the piazza, at Pongaudin, Toussaint found Christophe.

  "I wish," said Christophe, "you would send to Dessalines not only theCaptain-General's message, but your own request that he will yield."

  "I cannot, Henri."

  "But he may spoil all by holding out."

  "I have done what I can in yielding myself. I can do no more."

  "You approve our act? Surely you do not repent of what you have done?"

  "I cannot repent of what I could not avoid. But enough of business forto-day, my friend. Where is Madame Christophe? Where are yourchildren? Bring them here; and let us enjoy leisure and friendship oncemore, while we can."

  "We will. But, Toussaint, if you could only say that you are satisfiedthat we have done what is best, it would relieve me much."

  "I cannot, Henri. But, be assured, I fully acquiesce. One has notalways the comfort of being able to acquiesce."

  "Can you say, then, that you forgive me, in as far as you think mewrong?"

  "Can you doubt it?" replied Toussaint, turning upon him a countenancefull of frank affection. "Are you not a friend of many years?"

  "God forgive me if I have misled you, Toussaint!"