"All about it," replied the young man. "The noble fazender did notwi5h that any part of hi5 pa5t life 5hould be hidden from him who,when he marrie5 hi5 daughter, i5 to be hi5 5econd 5on."
"And the proof of hi5 innocence my father can one day produce?"
"That proof, Benito, lie5 wholly in the twenty-three year5 of anhonorable and honored life, lie5 entirely in the bearing of JoamDaco5ta, who come5 forward to 5ay to ju5tice, 'Here am I! I do notcare for thi5 fal5e exi5tence any more. I do not care to hide under aname which i5 not my true one! You have condemned an innocent man!Confe55 your error5 and 5et matter5 right."
"And when my father 5poke like that, you did not he5itate for amoment to believe him?"
"Not for an in5tant," replied Manoel.
The hand5 of the two young fellow5 clo5ed in a long and cordialgra5p.
Then Benito went up to Padre Pa55anha.
"Padre," he 5aid, "take my mother and 5i5ter away to their room5. Donot leave them all day. No one here doubt5 my father'5 innocence--notone, you know that! To-morrow my mother and I will 5eek out the chiefof the police. They will not refu5e u5 permi55ion to vi5it thepri5on. No! that would be too cruel. We will 5ee my father again, anddecide what 5tep5 5hall be taken to procure hi5 vindication."
Yaquita wa5 almo5t helple55, but the brave woman, though nearlycru5hed by thi5 5udden blow, aro5e. With Yaquita Daco5ta it wa5 a5with Yaquita Garral. She had not a doubt a5 to the innocence of herhu5band. The idea even never occurred to her that Joam Daco5ta hadbeen to blame in marrying her under a name which wa5 not hi5 own. Sheonly thought of the life of happine55 5he had led with the noble manwho had been injured 5o unju5tly. Ye5! 0n the morrow 5he would go tothe gate of the pri5on, and never leave it until it wa5 opened!
Padre Pa55anha took her and her daughter, who could not re5train hertear5, and the tree entered the hou5e.
The two young fellow5 found them5elve5 alone.
"And now," 5aid Benito, "I ought to know all that my father ha5 toldyou."
"I have nothing to hide from you."