ain of him. His royal highness, on hearing
Willis's fearful narration, thought the man was either drunk or a liar;
but he was drunk,--it was no lie. To remove any and all doubt, the
colonist rose from the table, and desired a slave to bear a lantern and
conduct us to David's cell."

"Well, what followed?"

"In my life I never saw so distressing a spectacle. Pale, wan, meagre,
half naked, and covered with wounds, David and the unhappy girl, chained
by the middle of the body, one at one end and the other at the other end
of the dungeon, looked like spectres. The lantern that lighted us threw
over this scene a still more ghastly hue. David did not utter a word
when he saw us; his gaze was fixed and fearful. The colonist said to
him, with cruel irony, 'Well, doctor, how goes it? You, who are so
clever, why don't you cure yourself?' The black replied by a noble word
and a dignified gesture; he raised his right hand slowly, his forefinger
pointed to the roof, and, without looking at the colonist, said in a
solemn tone, 'God!' and then was silent. 'God?' replied the planter,
bursting into a loud fit of laughter, 'tell him, then,--tell God to come
and snatch you from my power! I defy him!' Then Willis, overcome by fury
and intoxication, shook his fist to heaven, and said, in blasphemous
language, 'Yes, I defy God to carry off my slaves before they are
dead!'"

"The man was mad as well as brutal."

"We were utterly disgusted. Monseigneur did not say a word, and we left
the cell. This dungeon was situated, as well as the house, on the
seashore. We returned to our brig, which was moored a short distance
off, and at one o'clock in the morning, when all in the building were
plunged in profound sleep, monseigneur went on shore with eight men well
armed, and, going straight to the prison, burst open the doors, and
freed David and Cecily. The two victims were carried on board so quietly
that they were not perceived; and then monseigneur and I went to the
planter's house. Strange contrast! These men torture their slaves, and
yet do not take any precaution against them, but sleep with doors and
windows open. We easily got access to the sleeping-room of the planter,
which was lighted on the inside by a small glass lamp. Monseigneur
awakened the man, who sat upright in his bed, his brain still disturbed
by the effect of his drunkenness. 'You have to-night defied God to carry
off your two victims before their death, and he has taken the