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Baltasar Coutinho was in the reception room, pretending to feel an indifference fed by revenge. His sisters and the other female relations surrounded Teresa and gave her no peace. Young and old repeated that she should be reconciled with her cousin and give her poor father the happiness he desired before he died. Teresa replied that she bore Baltasar no ill will and would remain his friend as long as he left her heart free.
Tadeu expected much from that birthday evening and from the advice of relations who considered themselves prudent. They had recommended youthful amusements to divide his daughter's attention among many pleasures instead of leaving it fixed on Simão alone. Frequent gatherings would let Teresa appear in society, receive compliments from many men and perhaps think less highly of the only man she loved. The nobleman agreed reluctantly, for he trusted his own theories about women more. After thirty years of expensive and dissolute living, he had also begun to appreciate economy and quiet. That evening, however, the house celebrated Tadeu's birthday with music, minuets and forfeits.
Teresa was too agitated to share the guests' enjoyment. After ten o'clock, she seemed unaware of the compliments from men and women competing for the attention of the queen of the gathering. Baltasar noticed her unease and had the modesty to imagine that Teresa was offended by his coldness. With a grave and melancholy expression, he apologised for a coldness like that of mountains hiding volcanoes beneath the snow. Teresa answered honestly that she had not even noticed her cousin's coldness. She called a girl to her side, as if to prevent the mountain from opening into volcanoes, and soon afterwards left the room.
It was a quarter to eleven when Teresa ran to the end of the garden and opened the gate, but found no one. She hurried back to the reception room, unaware that Baltasar had watched her and reached a window overlooking the garden. They entered at almost the same moment through different doors, and neither showed the other what they knew. A few minutes later, Teresa tried to leave a second time, and Baltasar followed her again. When she reached the stair landing, she heard the sound of a horse in the distance. Baltasar heard it too and noticed that his cousin had covered her white dress with a cloak so that she would not be recognised. He stepped back to hide, but Teresa saw a figure withdraw, became frightened and returned to leave the cloak behind.
She entered the room breathless and pale, and her father asked why she had left twice and seemed so distressed. 'I have a pain and need some air from time to time, but it is nothing, Father.' Tadeu believed her and announced to the guests that his daughter was in pain.
Teresa noticed her cousin's absence and pretended that she was going to look for him, a decision that greatly pleased her father. She went down to the garden again, ran to the gate where Simão was now waiting and managed only to give him a brief instruction. 'Go away and return tomorrow at the same time; go, go!' There was no kiss or embrace, for Teresa withdrew at once.
As he listened to her, Simão kept his eyes on a figure approaching beside the garden wall. The carrier had already seen the man, given the signal and wedged the reins between stones so that he could help the student. Simão did not move, and Baltasar stopped six paces from him. The carrier advanced, but Simão ordered him to stay back and cocked two pistols. 'This is not a public road; what do you want here?' Baltasar remained silent, and Simão threatened to open his mouth with a bullet. 'If I have a secret, as you seem to have yours, am I obliged to confess it?' Baltasar replied. Simão declared that behind that wall there was only one house, one family and one woman. Baltasar replied that more than forty women were there that night and that each man might be waiting for a different one. Simão arrogantly asked his name, but Baltasar refused to identify himself and denied knowing the man questioning him. 'Let each of us keep his secret; good night.' Baltasar withdrew without revealing his identity and calculated that one sword could do little against two men and two pistols. Simão mounted his horse and returned to the hospitable farrier's house.
Baltasar returned to the room and disguised his agitation so well that he reassured Teresa, who was watching him from the side. The guests gradually departed, but Baltasar and his sisters stayed at Tadeu's house intending to remain for eight days. Teresa spent the rest of the night writing Simão a detailed account of her fears. She apologised for not warning him about the celebration, explaining that the joy of his arrival had prevented her from thinking clearly. Despite the fright, she kept the plan for them to meet the following night. Simão was astonished, for he believed that the figure was Baltasar and that Tadeu would be warned that very night. He told her about the encounter but rewrote his reply to conceal his fear of an attack and any concern for Teresa's reputation. To Simão's pride, appearing courageous was the conduct worthy of a true lover. During the day, he briefly foresaw the dire consequences the visit might have, but soon called cowardice what might have been prudence.
The farrier had a twenty-four-year-old daughter with a graceful figure and a beautiful but sad face. Simão noticed that Mariana was watching him for a long time and asked why she looked at him with such melancholy. Mariana blushed, gave a sad smile and replied that her heart foresaw approaching disaster. Simão concluded that she must know something of his life and asked whether she had heard the story from the carrier. Mariana explained that her father knew Domingos and Simão and that she had heard him tell her uncle there were reasons to expect a disaster. 'It is because of a noblewoman in Viseu who has a cousin in Castro Daire.' Simão was astonished to find so public a secret that he believed confined to two families. As he was about to ask for more information, the master farrier João da Cruz entered, and Mariana quickly left by another door.
João locked both doors from inside, sat on a chest and began rolling down his shirtsleeves like a man preparing for a ceremony. He apologised for appearing in his shirtsleeves because he had not found his jacket, and addressed Simão as 'my young gentleman'. He said that he owed Domingos an enormous favour and told the story to explain the debt. On one occasion, a carrier's mule had kicked a mare João was shoeing and broken one of her legs. João struck the mule on the head with his hammer, and its owner fired a blunderbuss at him. Wounded in the arm, the farrier went into his house, fetched a short gun and killed the carrier with a shot to the chest. He spent three years in prison in Viseu, and everyone said that he would end up hanged outside his own house. On learning that the new chief magistrate was devoted to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, he begged him in their name to hear his defence. Domingos heard the account, saw the scars and promised to do what he could. João was acquitted and from then on believed that he owed it to Simão's father to place his face wherever Domingos set his feet. Simão acknowledged that the farrier had reason to be grateful.
João then explained that before becoming a farrier he had served in livery at Baltasar's house in Castro Daire. Baltasar had lent him ten gold coins to establish his business, but João had repaid him in full. Six months earlier, Baltasar had summoned him to Viseu and offered him thirty coins for a service. The service was to take a man's life. The proposal revolted João, who drew a very personal distinction between killing in a desperate quarrel and being a professional murderer. When Simão asked who was to die, João replied, 'It was your lordship.' The farrier was astonished because Simão did not change colour, and the student proudly replied that he never did. João confirmed that he had refused the contract and added that he had wanted to smash Baltasar's head against a corner.
Baltasar had not explained his motive, but João waited until he left Viseu and then told Domingos about the offer. Domingos immediately understood the cause and said that if Simão had any honour, he would not look at that murderer's cousin. He also swore that he would never consent to a match between his son and a daughter of Tadeu de Albuquerque. That was how João discovered the love affair and understood the danger when Simão appeared at his house and went to Viseu at night. His brother-in-law had told him about the encounter by the garden, and João warned Simão that no one could easily defend himself against treachery. He offered to accompany him with the old gun which, he claimed, could fire even under water. He advised Simão, however, to avoid night-time fights, ask his father for permission to marry and leave the rest to him. If Teresa agreed, João guaranteed that he would quickly put her on a mare and leave her father and cousin not knowing what to do.
Simão thanked him and said that he would go to Viseu again that night, relying on João if any danger arose. He called him a friend, but João did not reply and went to examine the weapon carefully with his brother-in-law. He unloaded it and reloaded it with special bullets which, with grim humour, he called dandies' almonds.
While the men prepared practical protection, Mariana entered and gently asked whether Simão truly intended to go. 'I am going; why should I not?' he replied. 'Then may Our Lady go with you,' Mariana said before leaving to hide her tears. Mariana still did not know how to name what she felt, but her attentiveness, warning and tears already revealed her care for Simão.