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

was like a sister to the Englishwoman. He would advanceone leg and put his arms akimbo, posing for Anzani’s inspection,and fixing him with a haughty stare.‘Look, miserable shopkeeper! How can a man like mefail with any woman, let alone an emancipated girl living inscandalous freedom?’ he seemed to say.His manner in the Casa Gould was, of course, very different—devoidof all truculence, and even slightly mournful.Like most of his countrymen, he was carried away by thesound of fine words, especially if uttered by himself. He hadno convictions of any sort upon anything except as to the irresistiblepower of his personal advantages. But that was sofirm that even Decoud’s appearance in Sulaco, and his intimacywith the Goulds and the Avellanos, did not disquiethim. On the contrary, he tried to make friends with thatrich Costaguanero from Europe in the hope of borrowinga large sum by-and-by. The only guiding motive of his lifewas to get money for the satisfaction of his expensive tastes,which he indulged recklessly, having no self-control. Heimagined himself a master of intrigue, but his corruptionwas as simple as an animal instinct. At times, in solitude,he had his moments of ferocity, and also on such occasionsas, for instance, when alone in a room with Anzani tryingto get a loan.He had talked himself into the command of the Esmeraldagarrison. That small seaport had its importance as thestation of the main submarine cable connecting the OccidentalProvinces with the outer world, and the junctionwith it of the Sulaco branch. Don Jose Avellanos proposed