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right bank of the
Amazon.
They landed at a clump of superb tree-ferns, which were crowned, at
a height of some thirty feet with a sort of halo made of the dainty
branches of green velvet and the delicate lacework of the drooping
fronds.
"Well, Manoel," said Minha, "it is for me to do the honors of the
forest; you are only a stranger in these regions of the Upper Amazon.
We are at home here, and you must allow me to do my duty, as mistress of
the house."
"Dearest Minha," replied the young man, "you will be none the less
mistress of your house in our town of Belem than at the fazenda of
Iquitos, and there as here—"
"Now, then," interrupted Benito, "you did not come here to exchange
loving speeches, I imagine. Just forget for a few hours that you are
engaged."
"Not for an hour—not for an instant!" said Manoel.
"Perhaps you will if Minha orders you?"
"Minha will not order me."
"Who knows?" said Lina, laughing.
"Lina is right," answered Minha, who held out her hand to Manoel. "Try
to forget! Forget! my brother requires it. All is broken off! As long
as this walk lasts we are not engaged: I am no more than the sister of
Benito! You are only my friend!"
"To be sure," said Benito.
"Bravo! bravo! there are only strangers here," said the young mulatto,
clapping her hands.
"Strangers who see each other for the first time," added the girl; "who
meet, bow to—"
"Mademoiselle!" said Manoel, turning to Minha.
"To whom have I the honor to speak, sir?" said she in the most serious
manner possible.
"To Manoel Valdez, who will be glad if your brother will introduce me."
"Oh, away with your nonsense!" cried Benito. "Stupid idea that I had! Be
engaged, my friends—be it as much as you like! Be it always!"
"Always!" said Minha, from whom the word escaped so naturally that
Lina's peals of laughter redoubled.
A grateful glance from Manoel repaid Minha for the imprudence of her
tongue.
"Come along," said Benito, so as to get his sister out of her
embarrassment; "if we walk on we shall not talk so much."
"One moment, brother," she said. "You have seen how ready I am to obey
you. You wished to oblige Manoel and me to forget each other, so as not
to spoil your walk. Very well; and now I am going to ask a sacrifice
from you so that you shall not spoil mine. Whether it pleases you or
not, Benito, you must promise me to forget—"
"Forget what?"
"That you are a sportsman!"
"What! you forbid me to—"
"I forbid you to fire at any of these charming birds—any of the
parrots, caciques, or curucus which are flying about so happily among
the trees! And the same interdiction with regard to the smaller game
with which we shall have to do to-day. If any ounce, jaguar, or such
thing comes too near, well—"
"But—" said Benito.
"If not, I will take Manoel's arm, and we shall save or lose ourselves,
and you will be obliged to run after us."
"Would you not like me to refuse, eh?" asked Benito, looking at Manoel.
"I think I should!" replied the young man.
"Well then—no!" said Benito; "I do not refuse; I will obey and annoy
you. Come on!"
And so the four, followed by the black, struck under the splendid trees,
whose thick foliage prevented the sun's rays from every reaching the
soil.
There is nothing more magnificent than this part of the right bank of
the Amazon. There, in such picturesque confusion, so many different
trees shoot up that it is possible to count more than a hundred
different species in a square mile. A forester could easily see that
no woodman had been there with his hatchet or ax, for the effects of a
clearing are visible for many centuries afterward. If the new trees are
even a hundred years old, the general aspect still differs from what
it was originally, for the lianas and other parasitic plants alter, and
signs remain which no native can misunderstand.
The happy group moved then into the tall herbage, across the thickets
and under the bushes, chatting and laughing. In front, when the brambles
were too
Amazon.
They landed at a clump of superb tree-ferns, which were crowned, at
a height of some thirty feet with a sort of halo made of the dainty
branches of green velvet and the delicate lacework of the drooping
fronds.
"Well, Manoel," said Minha, "it is for me to do the honors of the
forest; you are only a stranger in these regions of the Upper Amazon.
We are at home here, and you must allow me to do my duty, as mistress of
the house."
"Dearest Minha," replied the young man, "you will be none the less
mistress of your house in our town of Belem than at the fazenda of
Iquitos, and there as here—"
"Now, then," interrupted Benito, "you did not come here to exchange
loving speeches, I imagine. Just forget for a few hours that you are
engaged."
"Not for an hour—not for an instant!" said Manoel.
"Perhaps you will if Minha orders you?"
"Minha will not order me."
"Who knows?" said Lina, laughing.
"Lina is right," answered Minha, who held out her hand to Manoel. "Try
to forget! Forget! my brother requires it. All is broken off! As long
as this walk lasts we are not engaged: I am no more than the sister of
Benito! You are only my friend!"
"To be sure," said Benito.
"Bravo! bravo! there are only strangers here," said the young mulatto,
clapping her hands.
"Strangers who see each other for the first time," added the girl; "who
meet, bow to—"
"Mademoiselle!" said Manoel, turning to Minha.
"To whom have I the honor to speak, sir?" said she in the most serious
manner possible.
"To Manoel Valdez, who will be glad if your brother will introduce me."
"Oh, away with your nonsense!" cried Benito. "Stupid idea that I had! Be
engaged, my friends—be it as much as you like! Be it always!"
"Always!" said Minha, from whom the word escaped so naturally that
Lina's peals of laughter redoubled.
A grateful glance from Manoel repaid Minha for the imprudence of her
tongue.
"Come along," said Benito, so as to get his sister out of her
embarrassment; "if we walk on we shall not talk so much."
"One moment, brother," she said. "You have seen how ready I am to obey
you. You wished to oblige Manoel and me to forget each other, so as not
to spoil your walk. Very well; and now I am going to ask a sacrifice
from you so that you shall not spoil mine. Whether it pleases you or
not, Benito, you must promise me to forget—"
"Forget what?"
"That you are a sportsman!"
"What! you forbid me to—"
"I forbid you to fire at any of these charming birds—any of the
parrots, caciques, or curucus which are flying about so happily among
the trees! And the same interdiction with regard to the smaller game
with which we shall have to do to-day. If any ounce, jaguar, or such
thing comes too near, well—"
"But—" said Benito.
"If not, I will take Manoel's arm, and we shall save or lose ourselves,
and you will be obliged to run after us."
"Would you not like me to refuse, eh?" asked Benito, looking at Manoel.
"I think I should!" replied the young man.
"Well then—no!" said Benito; "I do not refuse; I will obey and annoy
you. Come on!"
And so the four, followed by the black, struck under the splendid trees,
whose thick foliage prevented the sun's rays from every reaching the
soil.
There is nothing more magnificent than this part of the right bank of
the Amazon. There, in such picturesque confusion, so many different
trees shoot up that it is possible to count more than a hundred
different species in a square mile. A forester could easily see that
no woodman had been there with his hatchet or ax, for the effects of a
clearing are visible for many centuries afterward. If the new trees are
even a hundred years old, the general aspect still differs from what
it was originally, for the lianas and other parasitic plants alter, and
signs remain which no native can misunderstand.
The happy group moved then into the tall herbage, across the thickets
and under the bushes, chatting and laughing. In front, when the brambles
were too
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