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This is his statement: "It appears," says Gayarre, "that soon after the death of Charles III., an attempt was made to introduce the much-dreaded tribunal of the Inquisition into the colony.

Gayarre seems to have everything in his hands." I gathered from the doctor that Eugenie's father had been much richer at one period one of the most extensive planters on the coast; that he had kept a sort of "open house," and dispensed hospitality in princely style. "Fetes" on a grand scale had been given, and this more particularly of late years.

He was the agent of whom D'Hauteville had spoken. The Creole had guessed aright, and so, too, had Le Ber. Gayarre had outbid them all! For a while I lingered in the hall, irresolute and almost without purpose. She whom I loved, and who loved me in return, was wrested from me by an infamous law, ruthlessly torn from me.

You will not be grieved to know, that Gayarre passed several years of his after-life in the palace-prison of Baton Rouge, and then disappeared altogether from the scene. It was said that under a changed name he returned to France, his native country. His conviction was easy. Antoine had long suspected him of a design to plunder their joint ward, and had determined to put him to the proof.

I have endeavoured to draw from the doctor some facts, regarding the connexion existing between Gayarre and the family of Besancon. I could only make distant allusion to such a subject. I obtained no very satisfactory information. The doctor is what might be termed a "close man," and too much talking would not make one of his profession very popular in Louisiana.

In the Doctor's companion I beheld a type of this face, the fox in human form, and with all the attributes of this animal highly developed. My instincts chimed with Scipio's, for I had not the slightest doubt that before me stood Monsieur Dominique Gayarre. It was he. A man of small stature he was, and thinly built, but evidently one who could endure a great deal before parting with life.

My intention was simply this: To proceed at once to the plantation of Gayarre stealthily to approach the house to communicate with Aurore through some of the slaves of the plantation; failing in this, to find out, if possible, in what part of the house she would pass the night to enter her room after all had gone to sleep propose to her to fly with me and then make our escape the best way we could.

She turned away and the curtain dropped into its place; but before it had screened the view, the dark shadow of a man fell against the back wall of the room. Gayarre, no doubt! I could hold back no longer; but climbing over the garden-fence, I crept forward, followed by D'Hauteville.

Aurore Besancon is not a slave!" Gayarre started, as though some one had thrust a knife into him. "Who says that?" he demanded, though with a voice that evidently faltered. "I!" replied the voice; and at the same instant a young man leaped upon one of the benches, and stood with his head overtopping the crowd. It was D'Hauteville! "I say it!" he repeated, in the same firm tone.

We might meet those whom above all others we desired not to encounter the overseer, the agent, Gayarre himself. Even to have been seen by one of Gayarre's negroes might have resulted in the defeat of our plans. So fearful was I of this, that but for the darkness of the night, I should have left the road sooner, and tried a path through the woods which I knew of.