I strove, but with no success, to make her understand that over her soul, her temporal master had no control; but her ignorance could not see a difference between the body and soul. Whoever owned the former, she thought, was entitled to the latter. Finding I could make no impression upon her mind, I lay down and tried to sleep; but rest was an alien to me. I dreaded the breaking of the morn. Poor Amy slept, and I was glad that she did. Her overtaxed body yielded itself up to the most profound rest. In the morning, when I saw her sleeping so soundly on the pallet, I disliked to arouse her. I felt, as I fancied a human jailer must feel, whose business it is to awaken a criminal on the morning of his execution; yet I had it to do, for, if she had been tardy at her work, it would have enraged her tyrants the more, and been worse for her. Rubbing her eyes, she sat upright on the pallet and murmured, "Dis is de day. I's to be led to de post, and maybe kilt." I dared not comfort her, and only bade her to make haste and attend to her work. CHAPTER XXIV. THE PUNISHMENT--CRUELTY--ITS FATAL CONSEQUENCE--DEATH. At breakfast, Miss Jane shook her head at Amy, saying, "I'll settle accounts with you, presently." I wondered if that tremulous form, that stood eyeing her in affright, did not soften her; but no, the "shaking culprit," as she styled Amy, was the very creature upon whom she desired to deal swift justice. Pitiable was the sight in the kitchen, where Jake and Dan, great stout fellows, were making their breakfasts off of scraps of meat, old bones and corn-bread, whilst the aroma of coffee, broiled chicken, and egg-cakes was wafted to them from the house-table. "I wish't I had somepin' more to eat," said Dan. "You's never satisfy," replied Sally, the cook; "you gits jist as much as de balance, yit you makes de most complaints." "No I doesn't." "Yes, you does; don't he, Jake?" "Why, to be sartain he does," said Jake, who of late had agreed to live with Sally as a wife. Of course no matrimonial rite was allowed, for Mr. Peterkin was consistent enough to say, that, as the law did not recognize the validity of negro marriages, he saw no use of the tomfoolery of a preacher in the case; and this is all reasonable enough. "You allers takes Sal's part," said Dan, "now sense she has got to be your wife; you and her is allers colloged together agin' de rest ov us." "Wal, haint I right for to 'tect my ole 'oman?" "Now, ha, ha!" cried Nace, as he entered, "de idee ob yer 'tectin' a wife! I jist wisht Masser sell yer apart, den whar is yer 'tection ob one anoder?" "Oh, dat am very different. Den I'd jist git me anoder ole 'oman, an' she'd git her anoder ole man." "Sure an' I would," was Sally's reply; "hain't I done had five old men already, an' den if Jake be sole, I'de git somebody else." "White folks don't do dat ar' way," interposed Dan, as he picked away at a bone.