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"Well, sir!" exclaimed Manoel, "if that is so, the name of Dacosta is in the last paragraph; and taking successively each letter of those lines for the first of the seven letters which compose his name, we ought to get " "That would be impossible," interrupted the judge, "except on one condition." "What is that?"
Benito Garral?" "No, Benito Dacosta!" answered the young man. "Quite so," continued Torres. "Mr. Benito Dacosta, accompanied by Mr. Manoel Valdez and my friend Fragoso!" At the irritating qualification thus accorded him by the adventurer, Fragoso, who was by no means loath to do him some damage, was about to rush to the attack, when Benito, quite unmoved, held him back.
And Joam Dacosta rose from beneath the blow which had so unexpectedly struck him. It was not only his own honor which was in question, but the honor of all who belonged to him.
This number, 432513, was the number sought for so long! The name of Ortega had enabled him to discover it! At length he held the key of the document, which would incontestably prove the innocence of Joam Dacosta, and without reading any more he flew from his study into the street, shouting: "Halt! Halt!"
By a natural association of ideas, he also joined in the general opinion that the document referred to the affair at Tijuco, and that it had been written by the hand of the guilty man, and exonerated Joam Dacosta. And so he put even more ardor into his search for the key.
The man was Jarriquez, and he now really set to work more in the interest of Joam Dacosta than for the satisfaction of his analytical faculties. A complete change had also taken place in his opinion.
Would that show that he gave Torres a document in which he announced himself the author of this crime, and exonerated Joam Dacosta? Would that give us the key of the document? No! Two men only knew the cipher the culprit and Torres! And these two men are no more!" So reasoned Fragoso. It was evident that his enterprise would do no good. But the thought of it was too much for him.
Once more, then, Joam Dacosta would have to escape by flight from an unjust imprisonment. It was at the outset agreed between the two young men that the secret should be carefully kept, and that neither Yaquita nor Minha should be informed of preparations, which would probably only give rise to hopes destined never to be realized.
"That the first cipher of the number should happen to be the first letter of the word Dacosta, and I think you will agree with me that that is not probable." "Quite so!" sighed Manoel, who, with this improbability, saw the last chance vanish. "And so we must trust to chance alone," continued Jarriquez, who shook his head, "and chance does not often do much in things of this sort."
During the night, if the sky were very cloudy, none of these operations would be noticed before the day dawned. Joam Dacosta could get safely away.
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