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

in sober truth, that he could not manage to keep this out ofa strictly business conference upon the finances of Costaguanahe had with Sir John a couple of years ago. Sir Johnmentioned it with amazement in a letter he wrote to mehere, from San Francisco, when on his way home. Upon myword, doctor, things seem to be worth nothing by what theyare in themselves. I begin to believe that the only solid thingabout them is the spiritual value which everyone discoversin his own form of activity——‘‘Bah!’ interrupted the doctor, without stopping for aninstant the idle swinging movement of his legs. ‘Self-flattery.Food for that vanity which makes the world go round.Meantime, what do you think is going to happen to thetreasure floating about the gulf with the great Capataz andthe great politician?’‘Why are you uneasy about it, doctor?’‘I uneasy! And what the devil is it to me? I put no spiritualvalue into my desires, or my opinions, or my actions.They have not enough vastness to give me room for self-flattery.Look, for instance, I should certainly have liked to easethe last moments of that poor woman. And I can’t. It’s impossible.Have you met the impossible face to face—or haveyou, the Napoleon of railways, no such word in your dictionary?’‘Is she bound to have a very bad time of it?’ asked thechief engineer, with humane concern.Slow, heavy footsteps moved across the planks abovethe heavy hard wood beams of the kitchen. Then down thenarrow opening of the staircase made in the thickness of