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

not return for two days. The police would have laid the Italianby the heels if it had not been for fear of the Cargadores,a turbulent body of men, quite apt to raise a tumult. Nowadaysit was not so easy to govern Sulaco. Bad charactersflocked into it, attracted by the money in the pockets of therailway workmen. The populace was made restless by FatherCorbelan’s discourses. And the first magistrate explained toCharles Gould that now the province was stripped of troopsany outbreak of lawlessness would find the authorities withtheir boots off, as it were.Then he went away moodily to sit in an armchair, smokinga long, thin cigar, not very far from Don Jose, withwhom, bending over sideways, he exchanged a few wordsfrom time to time. He ignored the entrance of the priest,and whenever Father Corbelan’s voice was raised behindhim, he shrugged his shoulders impatiently.Father Corbelan had remained quite motionless for atime with that something vengeful in his immobility whichseemed to characterize all his attitudes. A lurid glow ofstrong convictions gave its peculiar aspect to the black figure.But its fierceness became softened as the padre, fixinghis eyes upon Decoud, raised his long, black arm slowly,impressively—‘And you—you are a perfect heathen,’ he said, in a subdued,deep voice.He made a step nearer, pointing a forefinger at the youngman’s breast. Decoud, very calm, felt the wall behind thecurtain with the back of his head. Then, with his chin tiltedwell up, he smiled.