“No, please, come in.”

The landlord came in, but would not accept the proffered chair; he glanced around at the furniture to see if there was anything worth pawning, but found very little. He had come for the unpaid rent and could wait no longer; if they didn’t pay up in the next five days, he would put them out in the street. He hadn’t worked hard all his life just to give others an easy time of it. To look at him, you would never think he was a landlord, but his words gave the lie to his face, and, rather than argue, poor Cândido Neves chose to say nothing. He gave a slight bow, which was both promise and plea. The landlord would not be swayed.

“Pay me in five days, or you’re out!” he repeated, reaching for the door handle and leaving.

Candinho also left. At such moments, he never gave in to despair. He always relied on being able to get some loan or other, even though he didn’t know how or from whom. He also went back to check the newspaper advertisements. There were several, some already old, but he had looked for all those runaways before with no success. He spent a few profitless hours, then returned home. At the end of the fourth day, he had still not managed to scrape together any money, and so he decided to try his luck with friends of the landlord, but all he received was that same order to quit the house.

The situation was critical. They couldn’t find alternative lodgings or anyone who might take them in; they would definitely be out on the street. They had not, however, counted on Aunt Mônica. She had somehow or other found accommodation for the three of them in the house of a rich old lady, who promised to let them have the use of four rooms, behind the coach house and looking out onto a courtyard. Even more astutely, Aunt Mônica had said nothing to the couple, so that, in his despair, Cândido Neves would be forced to take the baby to the foundling wheel and find some steadier way of earning money; so that he would, in short, mend his ways. She listened patiently to Clara’s complaints, but without offering her any consolation, either. On the day they were evicted, she would surprise them with the news of this gift and they would sleep far better than expected.