Dom Casmurro 13.39 · 13.39

Bentinho moves to her, and the narration turns to his own face — the 'gesto mudado' he must have been carrying without knowing it. The word 'naturalmente,' here meaning 'no doubt' or 'as one would expect,' is a small confession of guesswork: he did not see his own expression but reconstructs it from its effect on Capitú.

The detail matters because it makes his inner turmoil visible on the outside. He has just been caught, paralyzed, and driven across the yard; all of it is written on him. Machado sets up a neat exchange of readings: Capitú hides her face and its secret, while Bentinho carries his openly, unable to conceal the disturbance the whole episode has stirred. She will read him before he can read her.

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