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

holes for windows, probably used in old times for the betterdefence against the savages, when the persistent barbarismof our native continent did not wear the black coats of politicians,but went about yelling, half-naked, with bows andarrows in its hands. The woman of the house is dying upthere, I believe, all alone with her old husband. There is anarrow staircase, the sort of staircase one man could easilydefend against a mob, leading up there, and I have justheard, through the thickness of the wall, the old fellow goingdown into their kitchen for something or other. It wasa sort of noise a mouse might make behind the plaster ofa wall. All the servants they had ran away yesterday andhave not returned yet, if ever they do. For the rest, there areonly two children here, two girls. The father has sent themdownstairs, and they have crept into this cafe, perhaps becauseI am here. They huddle together in a corner, in eachother’s arms; I just noticed them a few minutes ago, and Ifeel more lonely than ever.’Decoud turned half round in his chair, and asked, ‘Isthere any bread here?’Linda’s dark head was shaken negatively in response,above the fair head of her sister nestling on her breast.‘You couldn’t get me some bread?’ insisted Decoud. Thechild did not move; he saw her large eyes stare at him verydark from the corner. ‘You’re not afraid of me?’ he said.‘No,’ said Linda, ‘we are not afraid of you. You came herewith Gian’ Battista.’‘You mean Nostromo?’ said Decoud.‘The English call him so, but that is no name either for