Read Online The Alienist and Other Stories of Nineteenth-Century Brazil by Machado de Assis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Machado de Assis
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husband pack her off to their estate in the country because he noticed an Englishman riding by their house every afternoon, hoping to see her at the window? Poor Englishman! Why pick a fight over him? I’ll bet he didn’t even notice she was gone! One can live happily with one’s husband, with mutual respect, I do believe, without fighting or despotism. I get along very well with my Ricardo, very harmoniously. He does whatever I ask immediately, even if he doesn’t want to. One frown from me, and he obeys immediately. He wouldn’t give me trouble over a mere hat, that’s certain, no way in the world. Don’t even think about it, I’d say, and he’d get a new one, like it or not.”
Mariana listened enviously to her friend’s fine description of conjugal bliss. With the trumpets of Eve’s rebellion against Adam sounding in the background, Sophia’s example gave her an itch for independence, a wish to exercise her will. To complete the situation, although Sophia was self-possessed, one could say, others aspired to possess her, as well. She had eyes especially for all English aspirants, whether on horseback or afoot. She was an honest woman, but a flirt; it’s a rude term, but there’s no time to invent a more delicate one. Sophia flirted left and right. It was her nature, and she had done so out of habit since girlhood. What she gave out to all the poor fellows who knocked at her door was the small change of love: a nickel here, a nickel there, never a five-milréis bill, much less larger denominations. On the day in question, Sophia’s charitable urges led her to propose a stroll downtown to visit a few shops and, who knows, look at a few hats. Mariana accepted the proposal. A little demon inside her was huffing and puffing at the fires of vengeance. In addition, her friend, who held a certain fascination for Mariana, did not give her time to think. She accepted; why not? She was sick and tired of being shut in, she wanted to live a little.
Sophia went to dress while Mariana stayed in the sitting room, restless and pleased with herself. She thought of the coming week and scheduled her activities day by day, hour by hour. She stood up, sat down, stood up, and went to the window, waiting impatiently.
“Is Sophia sewing a new dress?” she asked herself from time to time.
During one of her trips to the window she saw a young man pass on horseback. He wasn’t English, but he reminded her of Beatriz, whose husband had packed her off to the country to escape an Englishman, and Mariana felt a growing hatred of all men—except, possibly, for young men on horseback. This one was too full of himself, however. He stuck his legs out in the stirrups to show off his boots, and he rode with his hand on his waist like a fashion figurine. Still, his hat compensated for those two defects. It was a little hat, but it went well with his riding costume. It wasn’t on the head of a lawyer on his way to the office.
She heard her friend’s heels slowly descending the stairs. “Ready,” said Sophia, coming into the room. She really was pretty: tall, as we already know, with a splendid hat and a devilish black silk dress that showed off the swell of her bust. Beside her friend, the figure of Mariana disappeared somewhat. Looking at her carefully, one could see that Mariana had beautiful eyes, attractive features, and a lot of natural elegance. But glancing at the two women together, all one saw was Sophia. Sophia was conscious of her superiority, I should add, and for that very reason she chose friends like Mariana. If that is a character flaw, it’s not my job to disguise it.
“Where shall we go?” asked Mariana.
“What a question! We’re going for a stroll downtown … Let’s see. I need to get my picture taken. Then I need to go by the dentist’s office. No, we’ll go by the dentist’s office first. Do you need to see the dentist?”
“No.”
“Or to have your picture taken?”
“I’ve got lots of pictures.
Mariana listened enviously to her friend’s fine description of conjugal bliss. With the trumpets of Eve’s rebellion against Adam sounding in the background, Sophia’s example gave her an itch for independence, a wish to exercise her will. To complete the situation, although Sophia was self-possessed, one could say, others aspired to possess her, as well. She had eyes especially for all English aspirants, whether on horseback or afoot. She was an honest woman, but a flirt; it’s a rude term, but there’s no time to invent a more delicate one. Sophia flirted left and right. It was her nature, and she had done so out of habit since girlhood. What she gave out to all the poor fellows who knocked at her door was the small change of love: a nickel here, a nickel there, never a five-milréis bill, much less larger denominations. On the day in question, Sophia’s charitable urges led her to propose a stroll downtown to visit a few shops and, who knows, look at a few hats. Mariana accepted the proposal. A little demon inside her was huffing and puffing at the fires of vengeance. In addition, her friend, who held a certain fascination for Mariana, did not give her time to think. She accepted; why not? She was sick and tired of being shut in, she wanted to live a little.
Sophia went to dress while Mariana stayed in the sitting room, restless and pleased with herself. She thought of the coming week and scheduled her activities day by day, hour by hour. She stood up, sat down, stood up, and went to the window, waiting impatiently.
“Is Sophia sewing a new dress?” she asked herself from time to time.
During one of her trips to the window she saw a young man pass on horseback. He wasn’t English, but he reminded her of Beatriz, whose husband had packed her off to the country to escape an Englishman, and Mariana felt a growing hatred of all men—except, possibly, for young men on horseback. This one was too full of himself, however. He stuck his legs out in the stirrups to show off his boots, and he rode with his hand on his waist like a fashion figurine. Still, his hat compensated for those two defects. It was a little hat, but it went well with his riding costume. It wasn’t on the head of a lawyer on his way to the office.
She heard her friend’s heels slowly descending the stairs. “Ready,” said Sophia, coming into the room. She really was pretty: tall, as we already know, with a splendid hat and a devilish black silk dress that showed off the swell of her bust. Beside her friend, the figure of Mariana disappeared somewhat. Looking at her carefully, one could see that Mariana had beautiful eyes, attractive features, and a lot of natural elegance. But glancing at the two women together, all one saw was Sophia. Sophia was conscious of her superiority, I should add, and for that very reason she chose friends like Mariana. If that is a character flaw, it’s not my job to disguise it.
“Where shall we go?” asked Mariana.
“What a question! We’re going for a stroll downtown … Let’s see. I need to get my picture taken. Then I need to go by the dentist’s office. No, we’ll go by the dentist’s office first. Do you need to see the dentist?”
“No.”
“Or to have your picture taken?”
“I’ve got lots of pictures.
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