himself, he leaned back in his chair, and with his head raised and his eyes looking straight in fr

o

if hesitating to resume the order of hi

ed on the dignity, propriety, and honesty of the whole of my life. I should have thought

a movement of his shoulders, show

continued Dacosta; "I say perhaps, for I do not yet know what credit to attach to them. And, sir, I have n

nt," answer

on the eve of the arrival of the raft at Manaos is

sta, but I ought to tell you tha

w that it could only come fro

ou to speak in such a

nly came to me to propose that I should purchase his silence to offer me an odious bargain th

ht Judge Jarriquez; "accusi

relations with the adventurer up to the moment when Torres let him know that

guilty man?" asked Jarrique

Joam Dacosta. "Torres was

culprit i

is d

nd he could not avoid exclaiming, "The man who can furn

ving, and the proof, written throughout in the handwriting of the author of

iquez, "that would not have been dear a

uld have demurred! Yes, you are right, sir; a man cannot pay too dearly for the redemption of

w s

f the bargain! I refused; he denounced m

et with you on your voyage, what would you have done on learning on your arrival of the

, in a firm voice; "for, I repeat it, I had no o

experienced a kind of feeling making its way to that corner of t

ey know that the document existed; that it contained this evidence; and perhaps they may be led to think that Judge Jarriquez was pitilessly incredulous. But they should remember that Judge Jarriquez was not in their position; that he was accustomed to the invar

gh curiosity, to drive Joam Dacos

now rests on the declaration whi

whole life does n

u think Torr

nk in

t to good-naturedly hand over to you the document fo

esuming his bargaining under the previous conditions. But this document might still be worth a fortune if, supposing I am acquitted or executed, it should

erable, and Judge Jarriquez felt it to b

oubtless to sell you the doc

in a penetrating voice, "in trusting to the j

r, and you have appeared before the jury at Villa Rica, whose verdict was given unanimously, and without even the addition of extenuating circumstances. You have been found guilty of the instigation of, and complicity in, the murder of the soldiers and the robbery of the diamonds at Tijuco, the capital sentence was

Joam D

y to sign thi

m re

his name to the foot of the declaration and the rep

ers to carry out your sentence. If then, as you say, Torres possesses the proof of your innocence, do all you can yourself-do all you can through your

sta bowed

e meantime to see my wife

uez; "you are no longer in close confinement, and

ell. The guards entered the ro

im as he went out, and sh

ch stranger affair than I