They both remembered the glance they had exchanged at the post-office.

Preoccupied by their own thoughts, neither of them had noticed the smile San Benavides indulged in on that occasion, nor did they pay heed to the fact that he was smiling again now, apparently at some story told him by General Russo.
But San Benavides was sharp-witted.

He needed no interpreter to make clear the cause of the chill that had fallen on the President's end of the table.
"He has told them," he thought, perhaps.

And, if further surmise were hazarded as to his views, they might well prove to be concerned with the wonderful things that can happen within a week or ten days--especially when things are happening at the rate taken by events just then in Brazil.
Of course, as a philosopher, San Benavides was right; it was in the role of prophet that he came to grief, this being the pre-ordained fate of all false prophets..