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ing, her enraged face turned up to Nostromo with a pair ofblazing eyes. He bent low to her in the saddle.‘Juan,’ she hissed, ‘I could stab thee to the heart!’The dreaded Capataz de Cargadores, magnificent andcarelessly public in his amours, flung his arm round her neckand kissed her spluttering lips. A murmur went round.‘A knife!’ he demanded at large, holding her firmly by theshoulder.Twenty blades flashed out together in the circle. A youngman in holiday attire, bounding in, thrust one in Nostromo’shand and bounded back into the ranks, very proud ofhimself. Nostromo had not even looked at him.‘Stand on my foot,’ he commanded the girl, who, suddenlysubdued, rose lightly, and when he had her up, encirclingher waist, her face near to his, he pressed the knife into herlittle hand.‘No, Morenita! You shall not put me to shame,’ he said.‘You shall have your present; and so that everyone shouldknow who is your lover to-day, you may cut all the silverbuttons off my coat.’There were shouts of laughter and applause at this wittyfreak, while the girl passed the keen blade, and the impassiverider jingled in his palm the increasing hoard of silverbuttons. He eased her to the ground with both her handsfull. After whispering for a while with a very strenuous face,she walked away, staring haughtily, and vanished into thecrowd.The circle had broken up, and the lordly Capataz deCargadores, the indispensable man, the tried and trusty
Nostromo, the Mediterranean sailor come ashore casuallyto try his luck in Costaguana, rode slowly towardsthe harbour. The Juno was just then swinging round; andeven as Nostromo reined up again to look on, a flag ran upon the improvised flagstaff erected in an ancient and dismantledlittle fort at the harbour entrance. Half a batteryof field guns had been hurried over there from the Sulacobarracks for the purpose of firing the regulation salutesfor the President-Dictator and the War Minister. As themail-boat headed through the pass, the badly timed reportsannounced the end of Don Vincente Ribiera’s first officialvisit to Sulaco, and for Captain Mitchell the end of another‘historic occasion.’ Next time when the ‘Hope of honest men’was to come that way, a year and a half later, it was unofficially,over the mountain tracks, fleeing after a defeat on alame mule, to be only just saved by Nostromo from an ignominiousdeath at the hands of a mob. It was a very differentevent, of which Captain Mitchell used to say—‘It was history—history, sir! And that fellow of mine,Nostromo, you know, was right in it. Absolutely makinghistory, sir.’But this event, creditable to Nostromo, was to lead immediatelyto another, which could not be classed either as‘history’ or as ‘a mistake’ in Captain Mitchell’s phraseology.He had another word for it.‘Sir’ he used to say afterwards, ‘that was no mistake. Itwas a fatality. A misfortune, pure and simple, sir. And thatpoor fellow of mine was right in it—right in the middle ofit! A fatality, if ever there was one—and to my mind he has
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Nostromo: A Taleof the SeaboardBy J
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AUTHOR’S NOTE‘NOSTROMO’ is th
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him: ‘What’s to prevent me repo
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Misrule.’ That work was never pub
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ter the usual exordium of his remor
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invective. She did not quite unders
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CHAPTER ONEIN THE time of Spanish r
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the sky above a razor-backed ridge
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At night the body of clouds advanci
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CHAPTER TWOTHE only sign of commerc
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ject with studied negligence.‘Smi
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against the rushes of the rabble, t
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Mitchell, after directing the comma
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CHAPTER THREEIT MIGHT have been sai
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ing fowls, pounding corn in wooden
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It was trying to the nerves. Old Vi
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The children kneeling on the floor
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Linda raised her eyes to her face f
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fumes floated upwards in sunshine,
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while the negro brakesmen sat carel
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ters of her hair, and the eyelashes
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Italian—the publication of the Br
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Giorgio’s old age. It cast a gloo
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CHAPTER FIVEIN THIS way only was th
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out-of-the-way place Sulaco is!—a
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aristocratic old Spanish families,
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showed some talent as guerilla chie
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could set in motion mighty machines
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face, a pair of eyes gazing straigh
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not connected with Nostromo, and in
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here. And I suppose they are homesi
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swift pasotrote, straight out of so
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Perhaps he had just dismounted on h
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Worked in the early days mostly by
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with many arguments and entreaties,
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a votre bonhomme—entendez-vous?
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teen, a matter of prime importance
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a personal point of view, too, as o
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‘That’s different. I’ve been
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and generosity, had the fastidious
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with that girl, and his mind of the
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aspect of the world.The latest phas
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fat coachman sat muffled up on the
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mine by the hour with her husband w
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face, and his whole, long-limbed, l
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thought that no one could know her
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there was an implication of calm an
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on facts; and Charles Gould, whose
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lip is what you’ll want; and you
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inaccessible to profane eyes. Some
Page 101 and 102: me whether his talk is the voice of
Page 103 and 104: stairs, and before he gave her the
Page 105 and 106: the heat of the day, she rode on a
Page 107 and 108: of lust between bands of absurd dev
Page 109 and 110: ents must have been great, after al
Page 111 and 112: tercourse was to strike as offensiv
Page 113 and 114: When in Sulaco it was his practice
Page 115 and 116: enclosures within the old ramparts,
Page 117 and 118: Thus professionally spoke Don Pepe,
Page 119 and 120: sword and in a shabby uniform with
Page 121 and 122: first, in a pointed straw hat, then
Page 123 and 124: dying on hillsides, in the long gra
Page 125 and 126: and weight, would be caught up by t
Page 127 and 128: ment. From the heavy family coaches
Page 129 and 130: had been fitted out; a price had be
Page 131 and 132: fore she had settled in her town-ho
Page 133 and 134: gling spurs and riding-whip under h
Page 135 and 136: the white gleam of ranging eyes; an
Page 137 and 138: at the end of his rule (which had k
Page 139 and 140: were badly wanted for this great de
Page 141 and 142: Chief of the State Costaguana had e
Page 143 and 144: which I, having been in my time acc
Page 145 and 146: Going ashore in the same boat with
Page 147 and 148: carriage, who returned smiles and f
Page 149 and 150: murs of recognition and obsequious
Page 151: ‘Is that true?’ she cooed, joyo
Page 155 and 156: PART SECONDThe Isabels
Page 157 and 158: The harbour was busy, too, with the
Page 159 and 160: ing company of nearly naked skeleto
Page 161 and 162: It was the rule for all the women o
Page 163 and 164: cific mandate to establish the pros
Page 165 and 166: much of the ignominy of the situati
Page 167 and 168: could unsettle the public opinion i
Page 169 and 170: in Tonoro. They had come to offer h
Page 171 and 172: otic send-off. It was not his part
Page 173 and 174: of a lover ensconced in a doorway o
Page 175 and 176: tion to become a poet like that oth
Page 177 and 178: ‘It’s like a tile falling on my
Page 179 and 180: formed that she ventured to treat s
Page 181 and 182: ‘I am inexpressibly grateful for
Page 183 and 184: French language. The big black lett
Page 185 and 186: thick stick. No! He had earned enou
Page 187 and 188: costume caused by the anxious lende
Page 189 and 190: ars of a strong wooden cage. Si, se
Page 191 and 192: The carriage rolled noiselessly on
Page 193 and 194: ‘Yes,’ muttered old Viola, sava
Page 195 and 196: ‘I shall want a horse presently,
Page 197 and 198: shriek, and Decoud, from his back s
Page 199 and 200: ciple is old.’He ruminated his di
Page 201 and 202: of feminine and intimate delicacy.D
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aising her hand. After a time he wh
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Decoud talking publicly with Antoni
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make war you may retreat, but not w
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and all his Negro Liberals hanging
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She made an energetic gesture of ne
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have ploughed the sea.’ He did no
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first pause. Their comparative isol
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Jose Avellanos. Don Jose, lifting u
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have carried so far, though there w
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something unlawful behind his pries
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for reparation from a penitent coun
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‘Very well,’ he agreed with the
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the skirt of his soutane at each en
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confirmatory word, a grunt of assen
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sign, made no sound. The impenetrab
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so.’ And now he was going. It was
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stairs, where the Madonna with the
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there was to say a long time ago. T
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upon the great bare wall. ‘It is
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Decoud affected suddenly the utmost
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country, whatever Father Corbelan m
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ceptibilities, and at the present m
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do no harm. And it was quite possib
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sentimentalists to deal with.’‘
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iously.‘Upon the whole,’ he con
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CHAPTER SEVENIT WAS part of what De
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death. That man seems to have a par
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for that, senor?’ Then it dawned
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dismantled houses acquired by the C
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vaguely about him, then dropped int
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man or beast,’ said the girl, pas
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holding a bottle, and sobbing gentl
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handfuls of type, blown in the wind
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it were to an assembly of trained m
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clothed in the fair robes of an ide
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emaining forces had melted away dur
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‘Never mind, there is no lack of
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holds to it as some men hold to the
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humanity.‘He joined me on the har
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the paper was going through the pre
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‘Teresa wants to see you, Nostrom
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for the glow of a heap of charcoal
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and hopes, had a great regard for h
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the one which they say is guarded b
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the stairs backwards, with the usua
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‘What bargain would your worship
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‘We are out in the gulf now,’ s
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In the featureless night Nostromo w
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and years to come. And yet, the day
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er. No, senor; there is no rest til
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the sensations awaked by what he ha
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was limp—lifeless.The light of th
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shouts and imprecations, looking fo
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angry and threatening voice, ordere
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had been making use of him, had tri
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‘They are trying to make out wher
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a naked mast. I will do it now, bef
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windows of the houses, and showing
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mism. In comparison to it, the chan
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daylight? He began to think that th
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him, and Barrios, with a rude and j
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intoxicated, and proceeded on their
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This was the first time Nostromo an
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would have passed on, leaving the l
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the breast of Senor Hirsch, who sim
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in aim, in view, in character, and
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I was in love with. Poor Teresa cou
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one of the two spades which belonge
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Nostromo detected the ironic tone.
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certainly before noon Sotillo would
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PART THIRDTHE LIGHTHOUSE
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of those imported workmen with the
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losing party. But I did not tell th
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of the far interior where the great
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ing by himself. I shall be sorry.
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story that will never grow old. Tha
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the treasure was of enormous import
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the wall, and narrow enough to be d
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the engineer. ‘When this question
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CHAPTER TWOCAPTAIN MITCHELL, pacing
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ecome the prey in person and fortun
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infuriated. Captain Mitchell, howev
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The long building was surrounded by
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ing half a hundred-weight of sand.
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and had been dragged along for some
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es, wanting in the misty idealism o
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tain Mitchell could meet the realit
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with his chin on his breast and his
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founded fellow get wind of the affa
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was sitting at the foot of the bed,
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their eyes on the doctor. But at th
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dark.‘Yes, that is exactly what I
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friend’s character is not my idea
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Only the slight limping shuffle cou
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tance.’Captain Mitchell was very
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creased. The guerrillero brother of
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saw the irony of it. Father Corbela
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drowning man catches at a straw. Fa
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over his shoulder.‘Drive carefull
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with the sergeant’s stripes on th
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day to join the democrats. We are g
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to turn, where the only chance of s
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his back against the rim of the fou
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had planned revolutions, who had be
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efusing, almost touched by the anxi
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senora had given into her charge th
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eyes, and in a tempestuous voice, b
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make a full confession, Father Bero
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fetters were struck off by the ligh
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of account the safety of her husban
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cident had brought to a point all t
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‘Antonia will kill herself!’ sh
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the cathedral. Three single strokes
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CHAPTER FIVEDURING the night the ex
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duplicity and cunning, together wit
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court, and had conceived the idea o
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and the bullet-speckled walls of th
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‘The brute!’ observed his Excel
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cho howled with conviction, was the
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patrol duty, strolling, carbine in
Page 443 and 444:
Don Pepe, in a mild and humorous vo
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the hammock. With less confidence,
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ecause whatever happened his honour
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CHAPTER SEVENAT ABOUT that time, in
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(which were accessible to His Excel
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as a great captain of industry and
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on the table.‘You will have to ta
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gadores could have been employed wi
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the Custom House, appeared lonely,
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CHAPTER EIGHTAFTER landing from his
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the cupolas, towers, and miradors r
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as a boy on one of these feluccas b
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made a few steps, then stopped agai
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Sharing in the anti-priestly freeth
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sensible his profound isolation. Hi
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meditating—or, perhaps, reading a
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ing his lips slightly, and not look
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der-blades. From there his eyes tra
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membered that much. What do you wan
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where he would be of the greatest u
Page 483 and 484:
ought never to have left the mounta
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pest in his ears in time to hear th
Page 487 and 488:
‘Am I to understand, senor,’ No
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such a fool as when I started. I ha
Page 491 and 492:
CHAPTER NINEDISTRACTED between doub
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that treasure, for that wealth of s
Page 495 and 496:
come entangled in a perfect welter
Page 497 and 498:
Complete silence. He quaked. It was
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whose one end was fastened to Senor
Page 501 and 502:
its mouth closed askew. The colonel
Page 503 and 504:
any future treacheries of that scou
Page 505 and 506:
He was absolutely the only one. The
Page 507 and 508:
You are safe because you are needed
Page 509 and 510:
‘I don’t know,’ burst out the
Page 511 and 512:
Sotillo.’And Dr. Monygham stopped
Page 513 and 514:
no divers, but he has a ship, boats
Page 515 and 516:
Custom House, before he managed to
Page 517 and 518:
laying about you with a stick among
Page 519 and 520:
had left it twenty-four hours befor
Page 521 and 522:
keen blade piercing his breast.The
Page 523 and 524:
decaying strength.He extended his h
Page 525 and 526:
The Capataz drank greedily. A sligh
Page 527 and 528:
CHAPTER TENTHE next day was quiet i
Page 529 and 530:
lish, French, Italians, all sorts
Page 531 and 532:
of his safe. It was even for that s
Page 533 and 534:
priest, everlastingly worrying the
Page 535 and 536:
ticle to him and the force he has o
Page 537 and 538:
see framed under glass in the Munic
Page 539 and 540:
the land gate, was not able to oppo
Page 541 and 542:
do?’ ‘You know very well I was,
Page 543 and 544:
confines of waking and sleep with r
Page 545 and 546:
they thought up to the last on that
Page 547 and 548:
Ha! ha! ha! He wants me to admit th
Page 549 and 550:
without loss of time and undetected
Page 551 and 552:
ments and barren tasks for the peop
Page 553 and 554:
endary treasure.At the end of his f
Page 555 and 556:
universe as a succession of incompr
Page 557 and 558:
dark, he ceased rowing and flung th
Page 559 and 560:
He had made up his mind that nothin
Page 561 and 562:
CHAPTER ELEVENSULACO outstripped No
Page 563 and 564:
ing tenderness.‘Don’t expect to
Page 565 and 566:
the Bolson de Tonoro. And the heroi
Page 567 and 568:
Gould. She had brought her uncle ov
Page 569 and 570:
him that position? Who can say? Gen
Page 571 and 572:
know how really good you are. You w
Page 573 and 574:
that incorruptible Capataz. Moreove
Page 575 and 576:
the Violas. As late as midnight at
Page 577 and 578:
an old negro, who had been sitting
Page 579 and 580:
Gould added to the grace of her sea
Page 581 and 582:
success for the last of the Goulds.
Page 583 and 584:
qualities was destroyed. He felt it
Page 585 and 586:
ed and feared Captain Fidanza, the
Page 587 and 588:
made for himself, under his rightfu
Page 589 and 590:
He went to see his friend Captain M
Page 591 and 592:
A sudden dread came upon the fearle
Page 593 and 594:
you for the earth to become empty t
Page 595 and 596:
her raised eyes remained fixed on n
Page 597 and 598:
‘Be allowed to listen to your Ram
Page 599 and 600:
his little flower.It had grown dark
Page 601 and 602:
and the triumphant excitement of hi
Page 603 and 604:
‘Where is it? Where? Tell me that
Page 605 and 606:
There was something in that immobil
Page 607 and 608:
CHAPTER THIRTEENON THE day Mrs. Gou
Page 609 and 610:
hills, for which we are starving ou
Page 611 and 612:
Linda had a good share of the Viola
Page 613 and 614:
ious and shameless innocence with k
Page 615 and 616:
stairs. At the moment of opening th
Page 617 and 618:
sala. The prosperous majordomo rema
Page 619 and 620:
has something to say to you alone.
Page 621 and 622:
aim. I myself could have done no be
Page 623 and 624:
lost for ever.’After hearing thes
Page 625 and 626:
photographer, small, frail, bloodth
Page 627:
‘You have killed Gian’ Battista
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