Adelaide took up the paper, glanced at its contents, and placed it in the pocket of her dress.
"I cannot tell you, my dear Augustus, how grateful I am to you for this gift," she said, exchanging a look of peculiar significance with her aunt, Mrs. Montresor.
Five minutes afterward, Myra, the Quadroon slave, announced Mr. Leslie and Mr. Percy.
Augustus Horton started at the sound of those names. Mortimer Percy had been absent from New Orleans since the night of the duel between his cousin and Gilbert Margrave. A faint flush suffused the cheek of Adelaide Horton; she felt that she was about to meet the man who had once loved, but now despised her.
Augustus was utterly ignorant that Gerald Leslie had assisted in carrying off the Octoroon; he had recognized no one but Gilbert Margrave, upon the night of the abduction.
The planter received his visitors with cold politeness, but the rat-like eyes of the attorney glanced with a look of hatred at Gerald Leslie.
Mr. Leslie was not alone; Toby, the mulatto, followed him into the garden.
Silas Craig started from his seat with an angry oath. "What brings you here," he cried, "Toby?"
"Do not blame him, Mr. Craig," answered Gerald Leslie, quietly, "it is I who brought Toby here."
"Oh, it was you, was it? and by what right do you order my slaves about, pray, Mr. Leslie?"