The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas

Brás plans to leave for Rio de Janeiro, but Dona persuades him to dine at her place first. Eugênia, dressed simply, impresses Brás with her charm and ladylike manner. While touring their estate, Brás notices Eugênia’s difficulty walking, an impairment she openly acknowledges as congenital. His unintentional question leaves Eugênia embarrassed. Brás tries to ease the situation, entertaining Dona in conversation.

Eugênia’s physical disability perplexes Brás, as he sees it as incompatible with her beauty. Despite not intending to take their affair seriously, he postpones his return to Rio de Janeiro, enjoying mornings in her company. Eugênia expresses her affection, and despite Dona’s watchfulness, the couple share a first kiss. Brás praises Eugênia’s discreet actions to conceal their affair from Dona.

The narrator defends himself against cynicism accusations, urging sensitive readers concerned about how he never intended to wed Eugênia to broaden their view. He emphasizes that his feelings for Eugênia were natural.