Not that, she cut in
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Prima Justina — — Isso não, atalhou promplamente;
"Not that," she cut in promptly;
Justina rejects the idea of intervening with Dona Glória, cutting Bentinho off.
Justina's whole strategy for the chapter lives in this quick interruption. She will not carry Bentinho's plea to Dona Glória, and she says so before he can finish framing the request. 'Atalhou' — she cut him off — is the verb Machado chooses, and it marks her as someone who controls a conversation by refusing to let it develop.
The printed 'promplamente' is one of the edition's spelling slips for 'promptamente,' but the sense is untouched: she answers fast because she has long since made up her mind. What follows is not deliberation but a prepared position, delivered as if reluctantly. Bentinho, who came to her as an ally, is already being handed a polished refusal dressed up as candor.
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