Sofia also knew the new arrival. They exchanged a few words. Mariana whispered impatiently in her friend’s ear that perhaps it would be better to leave their teeth for another day, but Sofia said no; it would only take half an hour, or three-quarters at most. Mariana felt very uncomfortable: the presence of that man tied her in knots, throwing her into a state of conflict and confusion. It was all her husband’s fault. If he hadn’t been so stubborn, and, even worse, made fun of her, none of this would have happened. Mariana swore she would have her revenge. She thought about her house, so pretty and peaceful, where she could be right now, as usual, without all this pushing and shoving in the street, without having to be so dependent on her friend . . .

“Mariana,” said Sofia, “Senhor Viçoso insists that he’s very thin. Don’t you think he’s put on weight since last year? Don’t you remember him from last year?”

Senhor Viçoso was the name of the erstwhile suitor, now chatting with Sofia and casting frequent glances in Mariana’s direction. She shook her head. He seized the opportunity to draw her into the conversation, remarking that, as a matter of fact, he hadn’t seen her for several years. He underlined these words with a rather sad, meaningful gaze. Then he opened up his tool kit of topics and pulled out the opera. What did they think of the cast? In his opinion they were excellent, except for the baritone; the baritone seemed to him rather dull. Sofia protested, but Senhor Viçoso insisted, adding that, in London, where he’d heard him for the first time, he’d thought the same thing. The ladies, of course, were quite another matter; both the soprano and the contralto were first-rate. And he discussed the various operas he had seen, referring to the most famous passages, praising the orchestra, particularly in Les Huguenots . . . He had spotted Mariana on the last night, sitting in the fourth or fifth box on the left, wasn’t that so?

“Yes, we were there,” she murmured, emphasizing the plural.

“Although I haven’t seen you at the Cassino even once,” he continued.

“Oh, she’s become quite the little peekaboo!” interrupted Sofia, laughing.