Dom Casmurro

by Machado de Assis

CIV - The Pyramids

José Dias was now divided between me and my mother, alternating the dinners of Gloria with the lunches of Matacavallos. Everything was going well. After two years of marriage, except for the great displeasure of not having a child, everything was going well. He had lost my father-in-law, it is true, and

Uncle Cosme was close, but my mother's health was good; our excellente.

I was a lawyer for some rich houses, and lawsuits were coming. Escobar had made a great contribution to my endeavors. He intervened with a famous lawyer to admit me to his bank, and he arranged for me some proxies, all spontaneously.

Moreover, our family relations were previously made; Sancha and Capitú were still married to the friendship of the school, Escobar and I of the seminary. Elles lived in Andarahy, wherever they wanted us to go many times, and there could not be as many as we wished, we went there for dinner some Sundays, or they came and made it with us. Dinner is little. We always went very early, after lunch, to enjoy the day long, and we only split at nine, ten, and eleven o'clock, when it could not be more. Now that I think of those days of Andarahy and Glory, I feel that life and the rest are not as hard as the Pyramids.

Escobar and the woman lived happily; they had a little girl. In time I heard of an adventure of the husband, theater business, I do not know what actress or dancer, but if it was right, did not give scandal. Sancha was modest, the working husband. As one day I told Escobar that I was sorry I did not have a child, he replied:

- Man, leave it there. God will give them when he wants, and if he does not give them any, he wants them for himself, and they better stay in heaven.

"A child, a child is the natural complement of life.

"You'll see, it's only necessary."

He was not coming. Capitú asked him in his prayers, I more than once gave it to me to pray and pedilate him. It was no longer like growing up; now paid in advance, like the rents of the house.