16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Stephen looked at him attentively. Gayongos
was a big heavy man, well on in middle age;
he gave the impression of general greyness
and he was over-weight: at this point his fat
trembled with passion, fairly well concealed.
His commercial dealing had already made
him rich: he had nothing to gain and his motives
seemed wholly pure, if indeed hatred
could be called pure: hatred of the Spaniards
for their treatment of Catalonia; hatred of the
Revolutionary and Bonapartist French for ravaging
the country.
'Is Government aware of this?' asked
Stephen.
'I have made representations through the
usual channels, and I have been told to mind
my own business: the Foreign Office knows
best.'
'I have known the same treatment.' Stephen