In "A Pair of Arms", Machado de Assis tells the story of Inácio, a young seminarian who stays at the home of a couple who are friends of the family. There, he begins to spend time with Mrs. Severina, the host's beautiful wife, and ends up being overcome by a silent and forbidden passion, completely fascinated by her arms. The story explores the awakening of desire, moral conflict, and the tension between innocence and sin.