“Why’s that?”

“She’s a young woman—”

“A young woman!” exclaimed Augusta. “She’s still a child.”

“She’s older than you were when you got married.”

Augusta frowned slightly.

“What are you getting at?” she asked.

“What I’m getting at is that I want to make her happy by seeing her happily married. Some days ago, a very worthy young man asked me for her hand and I said yes. When I tell you the young man’s name, I’m sure you’ll approve. It’s Gomes. They should marry, don’t you think?”

“Certainly not!” retorted Augusta.

“Why not?”

“Adelaide’s just a child. She’s not old enough or sensible enough yet. She’ll marry when the time is right.”

“When the time is right? Are you sure the young man will wait that long?”

“Patience,” said Augusta.

“Do you have something against Gomes?”

“No. He’s a distinguished enough young fellow, but he’s not right for Adelaide.”

Vasconcelos hesitated before continuing; it seemed to him there was no point in going on. However, the thought of Gomes’s fortune gave him courage, and he asked:

“Why isn’t he?”

“Are you so very sure he’s right for Adelaide?” said Augusta, avoiding her husband’s question.

“Yes, I am.”

“Well, whether he’s right or not, she shouldn’t get married now.”

“What if she were in love?”

“What does that matter? She’ll wait!”

“I have to tell you, Augusta, that we can’t let this marriage pass us by. It’s an absolute necessity.”

“An absolute necessity? I don’t understand.”

“Let me explain. Gomes has a large fortune.”

“So do we.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” said Vasconcelos, interrupting her.

“How so?”

Vasconcelos went on:

“You’d have to find out sooner or later, and I think this is the moment to tell you the truth, and the truth is that we’re poor, ruined.”

Augusta heard these words, her eyes wide with horror.

“It’s not possible!”

“Unfortunately, it is.”

A silence fell.

“There, I’ve got her,” thought Vasconcelos.

Augusta broke the silence.

“But if our fortune has gone, I’d have thought you would have something better to do than sit around talking about it; you need to rebuild that fortune.”

Vasconcelos gave her a look of utter astonishment, and as if this look were a question, Augusta quickly added:

“Don’t look so surprised. I think it’s your duty to rebuild our fortune.”

“That isn’t what surprises me, what I find surprising is that you should put it like that. Anyone would think I was to blame.”

“Oh,” said Augusta, “I suppose you’re going to say that I am.”

“If blame there is, then we’re both to blame.”

“What, me too?”