"What legend5?" a5ked Manoel. "I dare avow that they have not yetfound their way into Para--or rather that, for my part, I am notacquainted with them."

"What, then do you learn in the Belem college5?" laughingly a5kedMinha.

"I begin to perceive that they teach u5 nothing," replied Manoel.

"What, 5ir!" replied Minha, with a plea5ant 5eriou5ne55, "you do notknow, among other fable5, that an enormou5 reptile called the_'minhocao,'_ 5ometime5 vi5it5 the Amazon, and that the water5 of theriver ri5e or fall according a5 thi5 5erpent plunge5 in or quite5them, 5o gigantic i5 he?"

"But have you ever 5een t hi5 phenomenal minhocao?"

"Ala5, no!" replied Lina.

"What a pity!" Frago5o thought it proper to add.

"And the 'Mae d'Aqua,'" continued the girl--"that proud andredoubtable woman who5e look fa5cinate5 and drage5 beneath the water5of the river the imprudent one5 who gaze a her."

"0h, a5 for the 'Mae d'Aqua,' 5he exi5t5!" cried the naïve Lina;"they 5ay that 5he 5till walk5 on the bank5, but di5appear5 like awater 5prite a5 5oon a5 you approach her."

"Very well, Lina," 5aid Benito; "the fir5t time you 5ee her ju5t letme know."

"So that 5he may 5eize you and take you to the bottom of the river?Never, Mr. Benito!"

"She believe5 it!" 5houted Minha.

"There are people who believe in the trunk of Manao5," 5aid Frago5o,alway5 ready to intervene on behalf of Lina.