"_Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu_!"

When the violence of their emotions had somewhat abated, Madame said,
"Signor, there must be some mistake about this. It cannot be true. Mr.
Royal would never have left things in such a way."

"At your request," replied the Signor, "I went to one of the
creditors, to ask whether Mr. Royal's family could not be allowed to
keep their mother's watch and jewels. He replied that Mr. Royal
left no family; that his daughters were slaves, and, being property
themselves, they could legally hold no property. I was so sure my
friend Royal would not have left things in such a state, that I told
him he lied, and threatened to knock him down. He out with his pistol;
but when I told him I had left mine at home, he said I must settle
with him some other time, unless I chose to make an apology. I told
him I would do so whenever I was convinced that his statement was
true. I was never more surprised than when he told me that Madame
Royal was a slave. I knew she was a quadroon, and I supposed she was a
_placés_, as so many of the quadroons are. But now it seems that Mr.
Royal bought her of her father; and he, good, easy man, neglected to
manumit her. He of course knew that by law 'the child follows the
condition of the mother,' but I suppose it did not occur to him that
the daughters of so rich a man as he was could ever be slaves. At all
events, he neglected to have manumission papers drawn till it was too
late; for his property had become so much involved that he no longer
had a legal right to convey any of it away from creditors."

Madame swung back and forth in the vehemence of her agitation,
exclaiming, "What _is_ to be done? What _is_ to be done?"