Nostromo - A Tale of the Seaboard.pdf - Planet eBook

carriage, who returned smiles and familiar nods. Old Viola,evidently very pleased with the news he had just heard, interruptedhimself for a moment to tell him rapidly that thehouse was secured, by the kindness of the English signora,for as long as he liked to keep it. The other listened attentively,but made no response.When the carriage moved on he took off his hat again,a grey sombrero with a silver cord and tassels. The brightcolours of a Mexican serape twisted on the cantle, the enormoussilver buttons on the embroidered leather jacket, therow of tiny silver buttons down the seam of the trousers,the snowy linen, a silk sash with embroidered ends, thesilver plates on headstall and saddle, proclaimed the unapproachablestyle of the famous Capataz de Cargadores—aMediterranean sailor—got up with more finished splendourthan any well-to-do young ranchero of the Campo had everdisplayed on a high holiday.‘It is a great thing for me,’ murmured old Giorgio, stillthinking of the house, for now he had grown weary ofchange. ‘The signora just said a word to the Englishman.’‘The old Englishman who has enough money to pay fora railway? He is going off in an hour,’ remarked Nostromo,carelessly. ‘Buon viaggio, then. I’ve guarded his bones allthe way from the Entrada pass down to the plain and intoSulaco, as though he had been my own father.’Old Giorgio only moved his head sideways absently.Nostromo pointed after the Goulds’ carriage, nearing thegrass-grown gate in the old town wall that was like a wallof matted jungle.