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

cident had brought to a point all the consequences involvedin his line of conduct, with its conscious and subconsciousintentions. There must be an end now of this silent reserve,of that air of impenetrability behind which he had beensafeguarding his dignity. It was the least ignoble form ofdissembling forced upon him by that parody of civilized institutionswhich offended his intelligence, his uprightness,and his sense of right. He was like his father. He had noironic eye. He was not amused at the absurdities that prevailin this world. They hurt him in his innate gravity. Hefelt that the miserable death of that poor Decoud took fromhim his inaccessible position of a force in the background.It committed him openly unless he wished to throw up thegame—and that was impossible. The material interests requiredfrom him the sacrifice of his aloofness—perhaps hisown safety too. And he reflected that Decoud’s separationistplan had not gone to the bottom with the lost silver.The only thing that was not changed was his position towardsMr. Holroyd. The head of silver and steel interestshad entered into Costaguana affairs with a sort of passion.Costaguana had become necessary to his existence;in the San Tome mine he had found the imaginative satisfactionwhich other minds would get from drama, fromart, or from a risky and fascinating sport. It was a specialform of the great man’s extravagance, sanctioned by a moralintention, big enough to flatter his vanity. Even in thisaberration of his genius he served the progress of the world.Charles Gould felt sure of being understood with precisionand judged with the indulgence of their common passion.