Joam Dacosta managed to escape from the prison at Villa Rica. We know
the rest.
Twenty years later Ribeiro the advocate became the chief justice of
Manaos. In the depths of his retreat the fazender of Iquitos heard of
the change, and in it saw a favorable opportunity for bringing
forward the revision of the former proceedings against him with some
chance of success. He knew that the old convictions of the advocate
would be still unshaken in the mind of the judge. He therefore
resolved to try and rehabilitate himself. Had it not been for
Ribeiro’s nomination to the chief justiceship in the province of
Amazones, he might perhaps have hesitated, for he had no new material
proof of his innocence to bring forward. Although the honest man
suffered acutely, he might still have remained hidden in exile at
Iquitos, and still have asked for time to smother the remembrances of
the horrible occurrence, but something was urging him to act in the
matter without delay.
In fact, before Yaquita had spoken to him, Joam Dacosta had noticed
that Manoel was in love with his daughter.
The union of the young army doctor and his daughter was in every
respect a suitable one. It was evident to Joam that some day or other
he would be asked for her hand in marriage, and he did not wish to be
obliged to refuse.
But then the thought that his daughter would have to marry under a
name which did not belong to her, that Manoel Valdez, thinking he was
entering the family of Garral, would enter that of Dacosta, the head
of which was under sentence of death, was intolerable to him. No! The
wedding should not take place unless under proper conditions! Never!
Let us recall what had happened up to this time. Four years after the
young clerk, who eventually became the partner of Magalhaës, had
arrived at Iquitos, the old Portuguese had been taken back to the
farm mortally injured. A few days only were left for him to live. He
was alarmed at the thought that his daughter would be left alone and
unprotected; but knowing that Joam and Yaquita were in love with each
other, he desired their union without delay.
Joam at first refused. He offered to remain the protector or the
servant of Yaquita without becoming her husband. The wish of the
dying Magalhaës was so urgent that resistance became impossible.
Yaquita put her hand into the hand of Joam, and Joam did not withdraw
it.
Yes! It was a serious matter! Joam Dacosta ought to have confessed
all, or to have fled forever from the house in which he had been so
hospitably received, from the establishment of which he had built up
the prosperity! Yes! To confess everything rather than to give to the
daughter of his benefactor a name which was not his, instead of the
name of a felon condemned to death for murder, innocent though he
might be!
But the case was pressing, the old fazender was on the point of
death, his hands were stretched out toward the young people! Joam was
silent, the marriage took place, and the remainder of his life was
devoted to the happiness of the girl he had made his wife.
“The day when I confess everything,” Joam repeated, “Yaquita will
pardon everything! She will not doubt me for an instant! But if I
ought not to have deceived her, I certainly will not deceive the
honest fellow who wishes to enter our family by marrying Mina! No! I
would rather give myself up and have done with this life!”
Many times had Joam thought of telling his wife about his past life.
Yes! the avowal was on his lips whenever she asked him to take her
into Brazil, and with her and her daughter descend the beautiful
Amazon river. He knew sufficient of Yaquita to be sure that her
affection for him would not thereby be diminished in the least. But
courage failed him!
And this is easily intelligible in the face of the happiness of the
family, which increased on every side. This happiness was his work,
and it might be destroyed forever by his return.