Emília, a charming and experienced widow, tries to seduce Tito, a cold young man incapable of love, who remains indifferent to her amorous advances. Used to exerting fascination over men, Emília is frustrated by the impassivity of Tito, who seems immune to her game of seduction. In the end, Machado de Assis reflects on the different paths that each person can choose to follow in life and in love.