--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As it is my practice here to conceal…" description: "\"“As it is my practice here to conceal nothing, I shall relate on this page the episode of the wall. Virigilia and Lobo Neves were soon to sail. Enterin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/machado-de-assis-3758_caught-in-the-act_as-it-is-my-practice-here-to-conceal-not_2335673.jpg" --- # As it is my practice here to conceal nothing, I shall… ![“As it is my practice here to conceal nothing, I shall relate on this page the episode of the wall. Virigilia and Lobo Neves were soon to sail. Entering Dona Placida’s house, I saw on the table a folded piece of paper. It was a note from Virgilia. It said that she would be waiting for me in the…” quote by Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/machado-de-assis-3758_caught-in-the-act_as-it-is-my-practice-here-to-conceal-not_2335673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/machado-de-assis-3758_caught-in-the-act_as-it-is-my-practice-here-to-conceal-not_2335673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/machado-de-assis-3758_caught-in-the-act_as-it-is-my-practice-here-to-conceal-not_2335673.jpg) > ““As it is my practice here to conceal nothing, I shall relate on this page the episode of the wall. Virigilia and Lobo Neves were soon to sail. Entering Dona Placida’s house, I saw on the table a folded piece of paper. It was a note from Virgilia. It said that she would be waiting for me in the garden at sundown, without fail. It concluded, “The wall is low on the side toward the little path.” I made a gesture of displeasure. The letter seemed to me extraordinary audacious, ill-considered, and even ridiculous. It not only invited scandal, it invited it together with laughter and sneers. I pictured myself leaping over the wall and caught in the act by an officer of the law, who led me off to jail. “The wall is low…” And what if it was low? Obviously Virgilia did not know what she was doing; perhaps by now she wished she had not sent the note. I looked at it, a small piece of paper, wrinkled by inflexible. I felt an urge to tear it in thirty thousand pieces and to throw it to the wind as the last vestige of my adventure; but I did not do so. Self-love, shame at the thought of fleeing from danger…There was no way out; I would have to go. “Tell her I’ll go.” “Where?” asked Dona Placida. “Where she said she would wait for me.” “She said nothing to me.” “In this note.” Dona Placida stared. “But this paper, I found it this morning in your drawer, and I thought that…” I felt a queer sensation. I reread the paper and looked at it a long time; it was, indeed an old note that Virgilia had sent me in the early days of our love, and I had leaped the cooperatively low wall and had met her in the garden. I had put the note away and…I felt a queer sensation.”” [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a conflicted decision to follow a risky, romantic invitation, reflecting on fear, duty, and desire. **In simple terms:** A risky note leads to inner conflict. Key Takeaway Weigh desire against potential consequences. Themes love risk decision‑making Mood tension introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - romantic pursuit - ethical dilemma - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism human psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives the protagonist’s hesitation? - How does fear shape choices? A Different Perspective The note’s ambiguity may mask deeper manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caught in the act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-in-the-act/) [Episode Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episode-wall-5634796/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Note Virgilia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note-virgilia-5634794/) [Placida Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/placida-said-5634798/) [Virgilia Sent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virgilia-sent-5634795/) [Wall Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-caught-5634797/) ## Related quotes > [It's his word against the Commander's, unless he wants to head a posse. Kick in the door, and what did I tell you? 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Someday the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machado-de-assis/to-him-the-stars-seemed-like-so-many-musical-notes-affixed-to-the-sky/) [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) > [“...one of the roles of man is to shut his eyes and keep them shut to see if he can continue into the night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machado-de-assis/one-of-the-roles-of-man-is-to-shut-his-eyes-and-keep-them-shut-to-see/) [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) > [“Tijolos que pisei e repisei naquela tarde, colunas amareladas que me passastes à direita ou à esquerda, segundo eu ia ou vinha, em vós…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machado-de-assis/tijolos-que-pisei-e-repisei-naquela-tarde-colunas-amareladas-que-me/) [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) > [Out of the sighs of one generation are kneaded the hopes of the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machado-de-assis/out-of-the-sighs-of-one-generation-are-kneaded-the-hopes-of-the-next/) [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) > [“He had found in himself the perfect, undeniable case of insanity. He possessed wisdom, patience, tolerance, truthfulness, loyalty, and moral fortitude—all the qualities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machado-de-assis/he-had-found-in-himself-the-perfect-undeniable-case-of-insanity-he/) [Machado de Assis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) [Explore all 64 Machado de Assis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machado-de-assis/) ## More Caught in the act quotes > [It's his word against the Commander's, unless he wants to head a posse. Kick in the door, and what did I tell you? Caught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-his-word-against-the-commander-s-unless-he-wants-to-head-a-posse/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Passion is the evil in adultery. 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Jesus came and ministered among those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-heuertz/jesus-ministry-was-not-to-the-upper-class-the-educated-the-elite-or/) [Chris Heuertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-heuertz/) > [“Whatever you do, don’t make it worse by trying to come up with some flimsy excuse for why you were in the ventilation shaft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-you-do-don-t-make-it-worse-by-trying-to-come-up-with-some/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There was only silence. It was the silence of matter caught in the act and embarrassed. 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Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-rose/) > [Nothing on earth compares to the strength God is willing to interject into lives caught in the act of believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/nothing-on-earth-compares-to-the-strength-god-is-willing-to-interject/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I was avoiding it, and never came across in my mind but to my surprised I was caught in the act, had been chased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donah-cruz/i-was-avoiding-it-and-never-came-across-in-my-mind-but-to-my/) [Donah Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donah-cruz/) [Browse all 20 Caught in the act quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-in-the-act/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As it is my practice here to conceal nothing, I shall relate on this page the episode of the wall. Virigilia and Lobo Neves were soon to sail. Entering Dona Placida’s house, I saw on the table a folded piece of paper. It was a note from Virgilia. It said that she would be waiting for me in the garden at sundown, without fail. It concluded, “The wall is low on the side toward the little path.” I made a gesture of displeasure. The letter seemed to me extraordinary audacious, ill-considered, and even ridiculous. It not only invited scandal, it invited it together with laughter and sneers. I pictured myself leaping over the wall and caught in the act by an officer of the law, who led me off to jail. “The wall is low…” And what if it was low? Obviously Virgilia did not know what she was doing; perhaps by now she wished she had not sent the note. I looked at it, a small piece of paper, wrinkled by inflexible. I felt an urge to tear it in thirty thousand pieces and to throw it to the wind as the last vestige of my adventure; but I did not do so. Self-love, shame at the thought of fleeing from danger…There was no way out; I would have to go. “Tell her I’ll go.” “Where?” asked Dona Placida. “Where she said she would wait for me.” “She said nothing to me.” “In this note.” Dona Placida stared. “But this paper, I found it this morning in your drawer, and I thought that…” I felt a queer sensation. I reread the paper and looked at it a long time; it was, indeed an old note that Virgilia had sent me in the early days of our love, and I had leaped the cooperatively low wall and had met her in the garden. 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