"You will want my assistance with that _coquin_," said Menou, quietly. "We will arrange every thing to-day; to-morrow my son will be here; and the day after you will go home with me." I said nothing. What would have been the use if I had? I was no longer my own master. This unaccountable Creole had evidently taken the direction of my affairs entirely into his own hands. My poor negroes and negresses were crying and laughing for joy, and gazing at me with expectant looks. I bid then go to their huts; that I would have them called when I wanted them. "D--n those blackies!" said Mr Bleaks as they walked away: "they want the whip; it's too long since they've had it." Without replying to his remark, I told old Sybille to fetch Beppo and Mirza, and signed to the overseer to leave me. He showed no disposition to obey. "This looks like an examination," said he sneeringly, "and I shall take leave to be present at it." "None of your insolence, Mr Bleaks," said I; "be so good as to take yourself off and wait my orders." "And none of your fine airs," replied the Mister. "We're in a free country, and you ain't got a nigger afore ye." This was rather more than I could stomach. "Mr Bleaks," said I, "from this hour you are no longer in my employment. Your engagement is out on the 1st of July; you shall be paid up to that date." "I don't set a foot over the threshold till I have received the amount of my salary and advances," replied the man dryly. "Bring me your account," said I. My blood was beginning to boil at the fellow's cool impudence. Bleaks called to his wife, who presently came to the room door. They exchanged a few words, and she went away again. Meanwhile I opened my portmanteau, and ran my eye over some accounts, letters, and receipts. Before I had finished, Mrs Bleaks reappeared with the account-books, which she laid upon the table, and planting herself, with arms akimbo, in the middle of the room, seemed prepared to witness whatever passed. Her husband lounged into the next apartment and brought a couple of chairs, upon which he and his better half seated themselves. Truly, thought I, our much-cherished liberty and equality have sometimes their inconveniences and disagreeables. "The 20th December, twenty-five bales cotton, four hogsheads tobacco in leaf, delivered to Mr Merton," began the overseer; "the 24th January, twenty-five bales cotton and one hogshead tobacco-leaves." "Right," said I. "That was our whole crop," said the man. "A tolerable falling off from the former year," I observed. "There were ninety-five bales and fifty hogsheads." "If it doesn't please the gentleman, he ought to have stopped at home, and not gone wandering over half the world instead of minding his affairs," retorted Mr Bleaks. "And leaving us to rot in this fever hole, without money or any thing else," added his moiety. "And further?" said I to the man. "That's all. I've received from Mr Merton 600 dollars: 300 more are still comin' to me."