"No!" replied Manoel. "Decidedly not! Heaven forbid I should do such
an injury to the girl who is to become my wife. No, Benito! She holds
the adventurer in horror! I am not thinking anything of that sort;
but it distresses me to see this adventurer constantly obtruding
himself by his presence and conversation on your mother and sister,
and seeking to introduce himself into that intimacy with your family
which is already mine."
"Manoel," gravely answered Benito, "I share your aversion for this
dubious individual, and had I consulted my feelings I would already
have driven Torres off the raft! But I dare not!"
"You dare not?" said Manoel, seizing the hand of his friend. "You
dare not?"
"Listen to me, Manoel," continued Benito. "You have observed Torres
well, have you not? You have remarked his attentions to my sister!
Nothing can be truer! But while you have been noticing that, have you
not seen that this annoying man never keeps his eyes off my father,
no matter if he is near to him or far from him, and that he seems to
have some spiteful secret intention in watching him with such
unaccountable persistency?"
"What are you talking about, Benito? Have you any reason to think
that Torres bears some grudge against Joam Garral?"
"No! I think nothing!" replied Benito; "it is only a presentiment!
But look well at Torres, study his face with care, and you will see
what an evil grin he has whenever my father comes into his sight.
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