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If the pilot was the material director of this immense machine for can we not justly call it so? another personage was its spiritual director; this was Padre Passanha, who had charge of the mission at Iquitos. A religious family, like that of Joam Garral's, had availed themselves enthusiastically of this occasion of taking him with them.
The jangada floated at last, and the current took it toward the middle of the river, but, in obedience to the cables, it quietly took up its position near the bank at the moment that Padre Passanha gave it his blessing, as if it were a vessel launched into the sea whose destinies are in the hands of the Most High!
Padre Passanha took her and her daughter, who could not restrain her tears, and the three entered the house. The two young fellows found themselves alone. "And now," said Benito, "I ought to know all that my father has told you." "I have nothing to hide from you." "Why did Torres come on board the jangada?" "To see to Joam Dacosta the secret of his past life."
Benito was quite overwhelmed, and accused himself of having destroyed his father, and had it not been for the entreaties of Yaquita, of his sister, of Padre Passanha, and of Manoel, the distracted youth would in the first moments of despair have probably made away with himself. But he was never allowed to get out of sight; he was never left alone. And besides, how could he have acted otherwise?
Joam Garral wished to reserve for the judge himself the use of this proof, which, if the adventurer had spoken truly, would demonstrate his innocence. Manoel confined himself, then, to announcing that he was going to Padre Passanha to ask him to get things ready for the two weddings.
"No; I am, and always shall be, a bachelor." Benito and Manoel thought that while thus speaking Torres looked toward Minha. "And what should prevent you marrying?" replied Padre Passanha; "at Belem you could find a wife whose age would suit yours, and it would be possible perhaps for you to settle in that town.
"Well, my dear boy," replied Passanha, "seek out some lovely and gentle girl who wishes you well, and you will see that I can marry you at the same time!" "Well answered, padre!" exclaimed Manoel. "Let us drink to the coming marriage of Benito." "We must look out for some nice young lady at Belem," said Minha. "He should do what everybody else does." "To the wedding of Mr.
Manoel walked by the side of Minha, who looked most fascinating in her bride's costume, and then came Fragoso, holding the hand of Lina, who seemed quite radiant with joy. Then followed Benito, then old Cybele and the servants of the worthy family between the double ranks of the crew of the jangada. Padre Passanha awaited the two couples at the entrance of the chapel.
It was small enough, undoubtedly, and it could not hold the whole of the crew, but it was richly decorated, and if Joam Garral found his own house on the raft, Padre Passanha had no cause to regret the poverty-stricken church of Iquitos. Such was the wonderful structure which was going down the Amazon. It was then on the bank waiting till the flood came to carry it away.
Padre Passanha, then aged seventy, was a man of great worth, full of evangelical fervor, charitable and good, and in countries where the representatives of religion are not always examples of the virtues, he stood out as the accomplished type of those great missionaries who have done so much for civilization in the interior of the most savage regions of the world.
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