But at the words Manoel had felt his heart beat as if it would break.
The girl arose, ashy pale, as if she would seek shelter by the side
of her mother. Yaquita opened her arms to protect, to defend her.
"Father," said Benito, who had placed himself between Joam Garral and
Torres, "what were you going to say?"
"I was going to say," answered Joam Garral, raising his voice, "that
to wait for our arrival in Para for the wedding of Minha and Manoel
is to wait too long. The marriage will take place here, not later
than to-morrow, on the jangada, with the aid of Padre Passanha, if,
after a conversation I am about to have with Manoel, he agrees with
me to defer it no longer."
"Ah, father, father!" exclaimed the young man.
"Wait a little before you call me so, Manoel," replied Joam, in a
tone of unspeakable suffering.
Here Torres, with crossed arms, gave the whole family a look of
inconceivable insolence.
"So that is you last word?" said he, extending his hand toward Joam
Garral
"No, that is not my last word."
"What is it, then?"
"This, Torres.
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