Dom Casmurro 3.89 · 3.89

Prima Justina's whole contribution is one wary syllable: 'Eu?' — Me? The poor relation, dependent on the household's goodwill, knows better than to have an opinion on a matter this delicate; her single word is the reflex of someone who has learned that safety lies in saying nothing. It is a small, sharp character sketch in two letters — the cousin who survives by never committing herself — and it lets the question Cosme raised die quietly, unanswered, so that Dona Glória's vow stands by default. Nobody will take responsibility for undoing it.

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