And then, as guilt is so much more circumspect than innocence, poor Governor was deceived into a fool's paradise of confiding love, and led to believe that the overseer had entirely abandoned the persecution of Milly. This blind confidence lasted until one day, when one of those sudden little breaks of water, so small that its surface might be covered with two hands, yet, withal, the herald of that terror of the Gulf planters, a devastating "crevasse," appeared in the midst of a valuable field, and it became necessary to arrest its progress at once. A party of negroes was dispatched to the spot, and Governor was sent with them. In the course of a few hours, the crevasse had made dangerous progress, and they had to work until very late at night. But it was early when the overseer left them. It was between eleven and twelve o'clock when a young negro from the quarters came down to the works, and, taking Governor aside, whispered something in his ear. Down went the man's shovel, and away he sprang, and--all on fire with rage and jealousy--a man no longer, but an unreasoning brute--ran and leaped, bounding over everything that came in his way, and taking a bee-line to his cabin, the door of which he burst open. A moment and the overseer lay dead, slain by the hand of the injured husband. Governor did not hurt a hair of Milly's head; even in his mad and blind rage he had spared her, still so beloved. Neither did he attempt to save himself by flight, but lay moaning and groaning upon the cabin floor until he was taken into custody. This was the substance of the story related to Valentine. "I'se sorry I killed him, Brudder Walley! dough I hardly knowed what I was a doin' of. I'se sorry, dough it was all so tryin' from fuss to las'. Yes! I is berry sorry, dough it ain't no use to say it, 'cause I knows how, ef it wur to do ober agin', I should be sure to do it ober agin'! so, what's de use o' pentin'?" Valentine pressed his hand in silence, scarcely knowing what to reply just then, sadly thinking of the many thousands whose positions were just as false, as trying, as maddening, as his own and Governor's had been. About noon that day, Major Hewitt came into the cell to see his slave. The Major was very much overcome at the sight of Governor, and spoke with great feeling. "Oh, Governor! my heart bleeds for you, and for what you have done, my poor fellow! Oh! Governor, why, why did you take your revenge in your own hands, in this horrible manner? Why did you not, long ago, complain to me? I would have seen you righted." "Ah, Marse Major, you never would hear no 'plaints we-dem made against the oberseer. It's been tried often, and you never would!" "Yes, but my poor fellow! in such a case I would have listened to your complaint. I would have protected your family peace at every cost. If necessary, I would have discharged Moriarty. Yours was an exceptional case, and I would have attended to it."