am Garral.

"And, perhaps," added Padre Passanha, "Heaven caused him to feel remorse
for his crime."

Here they all rose from the table, and, having finished their dinner,
went out to breathe the evening air. The sun was low on the horizon, but
an hour had still to elapse before nightfall.

"These stories are not very lively," said Fragoso, "and our betrothal
dinner was best at the beginning."

"But it was your fault, Fragoso," answered Lina.

"How my fault?"

"It was you who went on talking about the district and the diamonds,
when you should not have done so."

"Well, that's true," replied Fragoso; "but I had no idea we were going
to wind up in that fashion."

"You are the first to blame!"

"And the first to be punished, Miss Lina; for I did not hear you laugh
all through the dessert."

The whole family strolled toward the bow of the jangada. Manoel and
Benito walked one behind the other without speaking. Yaquita and her
daughter silently followed, and all felt an unaccountable impression of
sadness, as if they had a presentiment of some coming calamity.

Torres stepped up to Joam Garral, who, with bowed head, seemed to be
lost in thought, and putting his hand on his shoulder, said, "Joam
Garral, may I have a few minutes' conversation with you?"

Joam looked at Torres.

"Here?" he asked.

"No; in private."

"Come, then."

They went toward the house, entered it, and the door was shut on them.

It would be difficult to depict what every one felt when Joam Garral and
Torres disappeared. What could there be in common between the adventurer
and the honest fazender of Iquitos? The menace of some frightful
misfortune seemed to hang over the whole family, and they scarcely dared
speak to each other.

"Manoel!" said Benito, seizing his friend's arm, "whatever happens, this
man must leave us tomorrow at Manaos."

"Yes! it is imperative!" answered Manoel.

"And if through him some misfortune happens to my father--I shall kill
him!"

CHAPTER XX. BETWEEN THE TWO MEN

FOR A MOMENT, alone in the room, where none could see or hear them, Joam
Garral and Torres looked at each other without uttering a word. Did the
adventurer hesitate to speak? Did he suspect that Joam Garral would only
reply to his demands by a scornful silence?

Yes! Probably so. So Torres did not question him. At the outset of
the conversation he took the affirmative, and assumed the part of an
accuser.

"Joam," he said, "your