He finally lost all contactwith the war. What in other
times had been a real activity,
an irresistible passion of his
youth, became a remote point
of reference for him: an
emptiness. His only refuge
was Amarantas sewing room.
He would visit her every
afternoon. He liked to watch
her hands as she curled frothy
petticoat cloth in the machine
that was kept in motion by
Remedios the Beauty. They