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were very much alike in appearance, both bald, with bunchesof crisp hair above their ears, arguing the presence ofsome negro blood. Only Pedro was smaller than the general,more delicate altogether, with an ape-like faculty for imitatingall the outward signs of refinement and distinction, andwith a parrot-like talent for languages. Both brothers hadreceived some elementary instruction by the munificenceof a great European traveller, to whom their father had beena body-servant during his journeys in the interior of thecountry. In General Montero’s case it enabled him to risefrom the ranks. Pedrito, the younger, incorrigibly lazy andslovenly, had drifted aimlessly from one coast town to another,hanging about counting-houses, attaching himself tostrangers as a sort of valet-de-place, picking up an easy anddisreputable living. His ability to read did nothing for himbut fill his head with absurd visions. His actions were usuallydetermined by motives so improbable in themselves asto escape the penetration of a rational person.Thus at first sight the agent of the Gould Concession inSta. Marta had credited him with the possession of saneviews, and even with a restraining power over the general’severlastingly discontented vanity. It could never haveentered his head that Pedrito Montero, lackey or inferiorscribe, lodged in the garrets of the various Parisian hotelswhere the Costaguana Legation used to shelter its diplomaticdignity, had been devouring the lighter sort of historicalworks in the French language, such, for instance as thebooks of Imbert de Saint Amand upon the Second Empire.But Pedrito had been struck by the splendour of a brilliant
court, and had conceived the idea of an existence for himselfwhere, like the Duc de Morny, he would associate thecommand of every pleasure with the conduct of politicalaffairs and enjoy power supremely in every way. Nobodycould have guessed that. And yet this was one of the immediatecauses of the Monterist Revolution. This will appearless incredible by the reflection that the fundamental causeswere the same as ever, rooted in the political immaturityof the people, in the indolence of the upper classes and themental darkness of the lower.Pedrito Montero saw in the elevation of his brother theroad wide open to his wildest imaginings. This was whatmade the Monterist pronunciamiento so unpreventable.The general himself probably could have been bought off,pacified with flatteries, despatched on a diplomatic missionto Europe. It was his brother who had egged him onfrom first to last. He wanted to become the most brilliantstatesman of South America. He did not desire supremepower. He would have been afraid of its labour and risk, infact. Before all, Pedrito Montero, taught by his Europeanexperience, meant to acquire a serious fortune for himself.With this object in view he obtained from his brother, onthe very morrow of the successful battle, the permission topush on over the mountains and take possession of Sulaco.Sulaco was the land of future prosperity, the chosen landof material progress, the only province in the Republic ofinterest to European capitalists. Pedrito Montero, followingthe example of the Duc de Morny, meant to have hisshare of this prosperity. This is what he meant literally. Now
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Nostromo: A Taleof the SeaboardBy J
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AUTHOR’S NOTE‘NOSTROMO’ is th
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him: ‘What’s to prevent me repo
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Misrule.’ That work was never pub
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ter the usual exordium of his remor
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invective. She did not quite unders
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CHAPTER ONEIN THE time of Spanish r
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the sky above a razor-backed ridge
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At night the body of clouds advanci
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CHAPTER TWOTHE only sign of commerc
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ject with studied negligence.‘Smi
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against the rushes of the rabble, t
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Mitchell, after directing the comma
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CHAPTER THREEIT MIGHT have been sai
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ing fowls, pounding corn in wooden
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It was trying to the nerves. Old Vi
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The children kneeling on the floor
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Linda raised her eyes to her face f
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fumes floated upwards in sunshine,
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while the negro brakesmen sat carel
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ters of her hair, and the eyelashes
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Italian—the publication of the Br
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Giorgio’s old age. It cast a gloo
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CHAPTER FIVEIN THIS way only was th
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out-of-the-way place Sulaco is!—a
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aristocratic old Spanish families,
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showed some talent as guerilla chie
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could set in motion mighty machines
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face, a pair of eyes gazing straigh
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not connected with Nostromo, and in
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here. And I suppose they are homesi
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swift pasotrote, straight out of so
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Perhaps he had just dismounted on h
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Worked in the early days mostly by
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with many arguments and entreaties,
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a votre bonhomme—entendez-vous?
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teen, a matter of prime importance
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a personal point of view, too, as o
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‘That’s different. I’ve been
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and generosity, had the fastidious
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with that girl, and his mind of the
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aspect of the world.The latest phas
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fat coachman sat muffled up on the
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mine by the hour with her husband w
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face, and his whole, long-limbed, l
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thought that no one could know her
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there was an implication of calm an
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on facts; and Charles Gould, whose
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lip is what you’ll want; and you
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inaccessible to profane eyes. Some
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me whether his talk is the voice of
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stairs, and before he gave her the
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the heat of the day, she rode on a
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of lust between bands of absurd dev
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ents must have been great, after al
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tercourse was to strike as offensiv
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When in Sulaco it was his practice
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enclosures within the old ramparts,
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Thus professionally spoke Don Pepe,
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sword and in a shabby uniform with
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first, in a pointed straw hat, then
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dying on hillsides, in the long gra
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and weight, would be caught up by t
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ment. From the heavy family coaches
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had been fitted out; a price had be
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fore she had settled in her town-ho
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gling spurs and riding-whip under h
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the white gleam of ranging eyes; an
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at the end of his rule (which had k
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were badly wanted for this great de
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Chief of the State Costaguana had e
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which I, having been in my time acc
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Going ashore in the same boat with
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carriage, who returned smiles and f
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murs of recognition and obsequious
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‘Is that true?’ she cooed, joyo
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Nostromo, the Mediterranean sailor
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PART SECONDThe Isabels
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The harbour was busy, too, with the
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ing company of nearly naked skeleto
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It was the rule for all the women o
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cific mandate to establish the pros
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much of the ignominy of the situati
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could unsettle the public opinion i
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in Tonoro. They had come to offer h
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otic send-off. It was not his part
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of a lover ensconced in a doorway o
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tion to become a poet like that oth
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‘It’s like a tile falling on my
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formed that she ventured to treat s
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‘I am inexpressibly grateful for
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French language. The big black lett
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thick stick. No! He had earned enou
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costume caused by the anxious lende
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ars of a strong wooden cage. Si, se
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The carriage rolled noiselessly on
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‘Yes,’ muttered old Viola, sava
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‘I shall want a horse presently,
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shriek, and Decoud, from his back s
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ciple is old.’He ruminated his di
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of feminine and intimate delicacy.D
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aising her hand. After a time he wh
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Decoud talking publicly with Antoni
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make war you may retreat, but not w
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and all his Negro Liberals hanging
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She made an energetic gesture of ne
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have ploughed the sea.’ He did no
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first pause. Their comparative isol
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Jose Avellanos. Don Jose, lifting u
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have carried so far, though there w
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something unlawful behind his pries
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for reparation from a penitent coun
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‘Very well,’ he agreed with the
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the skirt of his soutane at each en
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confirmatory word, a grunt of assen
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sign, made no sound. The impenetrab
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so.’ And now he was going. It was
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stairs, where the Madonna with the
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there was to say a long time ago. T
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upon the great bare wall. ‘It is
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Decoud affected suddenly the utmost
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country, whatever Father Corbelan m
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ceptibilities, and at the present m
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do no harm. And it was quite possib
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sentimentalists to deal with.’‘
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iously.‘Upon the whole,’ he con
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CHAPTER SEVENIT WAS part of what De
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death. That man seems to have a par
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for that, senor?’ Then it dawned
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dismantled houses acquired by the C
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vaguely about him, then dropped int
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man or beast,’ said the girl, pas
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holding a bottle, and sobbing gentl
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handfuls of type, blown in the wind
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it were to an assembly of trained m
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clothed in the fair robes of an ide
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emaining forces had melted away dur
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‘Never mind, there is no lack of
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holds to it as some men hold to the
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humanity.‘He joined me on the har
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the paper was going through the pre
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‘Teresa wants to see you, Nostrom
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for the glow of a heap of charcoal
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and hopes, had a great regard for h
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the one which they say is guarded b
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the stairs backwards, with the usua
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‘What bargain would your worship
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‘We are out in the gulf now,’ s
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In the featureless night Nostromo w
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and years to come. And yet, the day
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er. No, senor; there is no rest til
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the sensations awaked by what he ha
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was limp—lifeless.The light of th
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shouts and imprecations, looking fo
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angry and threatening voice, ordere
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had been making use of him, had tri
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‘They are trying to make out wher
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a naked mast. I will do it now, bef
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windows of the houses, and showing
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mism. In comparison to it, the chan
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daylight? He began to think that th
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him, and Barrios, with a rude and j
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intoxicated, and proceeded on their
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This was the first time Nostromo an
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would have passed on, leaving the l
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the breast of Senor Hirsch, who sim
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in aim, in view, in character, and
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I was in love with. Poor Teresa cou
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one of the two spades which belonge
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Nostromo detected the ironic tone.
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certainly before noon Sotillo would
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PART THIRDTHE LIGHTHOUSE
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of those imported workmen with the
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losing party. But I did not tell th
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of the far interior where the great
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ing by himself. I shall be sorry.
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story that will never grow old. Tha
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the treasure was of enormous import
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the wall, and narrow enough to be d
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the engineer. ‘When this question
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CHAPTER TWOCAPTAIN MITCHELL, pacing
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ecome the prey in person and fortun
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infuriated. Captain Mitchell, howev
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The long building was surrounded by
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ing half a hundred-weight of sand.
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and had been dragged along for some
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es, wanting in the misty idealism o
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tain Mitchell could meet the realit
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with his chin on his breast and his
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founded fellow get wind of the affa
Page 381 and 382: was sitting at the foot of the bed,
Page 383 and 384: their eyes on the doctor. But at th
Page 385 and 386: dark.‘Yes, that is exactly what I
Page 387 and 388: friend’s character is not my idea
Page 389 and 390: Only the slight limping shuffle cou
Page 391 and 392: tance.’Captain Mitchell was very
Page 393 and 394: creased. The guerrillero brother of
Page 395 and 396: saw the irony of it. Father Corbela
Page 397 and 398: drowning man catches at a straw. Fa
Page 399 and 400: over his shoulder.‘Drive carefull
Page 401 and 402: with the sergeant’s stripes on th
Page 403 and 404: day to join the democrats. We are g
Page 405 and 406: to turn, where the only chance of s
Page 407 and 408: his back against the rim of the fou
Page 409 and 410: had planned revolutions, who had be
Page 411 and 412: efusing, almost touched by the anxi
Page 413 and 414: senora had given into her charge th
Page 415 and 416: eyes, and in a tempestuous voice, b
Page 417 and 418: make a full confession, Father Bero
Page 419 and 420: fetters were struck off by the ligh
Page 421 and 422: of account the safety of her husban
Page 423 and 424: cident had brought to a point all t
Page 425 and 426: ‘Antonia will kill herself!’ sh
Page 427 and 428: the cathedral. Three single strokes
Page 429 and 430: CHAPTER FIVEDURING the night the ex
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Page 435 and 436: and the bullet-speckled walls of th
Page 437 and 438: ‘The brute!’ observed his Excel
Page 439 and 440: cho howled with conviction, was the
Page 441 and 442: patrol duty, strolling, carbine in
Page 443 and 444: Don Pepe, in a mild and humorous vo
Page 445 and 446: the hammock. With less confidence,
Page 447 and 448: ecause whatever happened his honour
Page 449 and 450: CHAPTER SEVENAT ABOUT that time, in
Page 451 and 452: (which were accessible to His Excel
Page 453 and 454: as a great captain of industry and
Page 455 and 456: on the table.‘You will have to ta
Page 457 and 458: gadores could have been employed wi
Page 459 and 460: the Custom House, appeared lonely,
Page 461 and 462: CHAPTER EIGHTAFTER landing from his
Page 463 and 464: the cupolas, towers, and miradors r
Page 465 and 466: as a boy on one of these feluccas b
Page 467 and 468: made a few steps, then stopped agai
Page 469 and 470: Sharing in the anti-priestly freeth
Page 471 and 472: sensible his profound isolation. Hi
Page 473 and 474: meditating—or, perhaps, reading a
Page 475 and 476: ing his lips slightly, and not look
Page 477 and 478: der-blades. From there his eyes tra
Page 479 and 480: membered that much. What do you wan
Page 481 and 482: where he would be of the greatest u
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ought never to have left the mounta
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pest in his ears in time to hear th
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‘Am I to understand, senor,’ No
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such a fool as when I started. I ha
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CHAPTER NINEDISTRACTED between doub
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that treasure, for that wealth of s
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come entangled in a perfect welter
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Complete silence. He quaked. It was
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whose one end was fastened to Senor
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its mouth closed askew. The colonel
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any future treacheries of that scou
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He was absolutely the only one. The
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You are safe because you are needed
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‘I don’t know,’ burst out the
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Sotillo.’And Dr. Monygham stopped
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no divers, but he has a ship, boats
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Custom House, before he managed to
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laying about you with a stick among
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had left it twenty-four hours befor
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keen blade piercing his breast.The
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decaying strength.He extended his h
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The Capataz drank greedily. A sligh
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CHAPTER TENTHE next day was quiet i
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lish, French, Italians, all sorts
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of his safe. It was even for that s
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priest, everlastingly worrying the
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ticle to him and the force he has o
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see framed under glass in the Munic
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the land gate, was not able to oppo
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do?’ ‘You know very well I was,
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confines of waking and sleep with r
Page 545 and 546:
they thought up to the last on that
Page 547 and 548:
Ha! ha! ha! He wants me to admit th
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without loss of time and undetected
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ments and barren tasks for the peop
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endary treasure.At the end of his f
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universe as a succession of incompr
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dark, he ceased rowing and flung th
Page 559 and 560:
He had made up his mind that nothin
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CHAPTER ELEVENSULACO outstripped No
Page 563 and 564:
ing tenderness.‘Don’t expect to
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the Bolson de Tonoro. And the heroi
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Gould. She had brought her uncle ov
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him that position? Who can say? Gen
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know how really good you are. You w
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that incorruptible Capataz. Moreove
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the Violas. As late as midnight at
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an old negro, who had been sitting
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Gould added to the grace of her sea
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success for the last of the Goulds.
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qualities was destroyed. He felt it
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ed and feared Captain Fidanza, the
Page 587 and 588:
made for himself, under his rightfu
Page 589 and 590:
He went to see his friend Captain M
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A sudden dread came upon the fearle
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you for the earth to become empty t
Page 595 and 596:
her raised eyes remained fixed on n
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‘Be allowed to listen to your Ram
Page 599 and 600:
his little flower.It had grown dark
Page 601 and 602:
and the triumphant excitement of hi
Page 603 and 604:
‘Where is it? Where? Tell me that
Page 605 and 606:
There was something in that immobil
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CHAPTER THIRTEENON THE day Mrs. Gou
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hills, for which we are starving ou
Page 611 and 612:
Linda had a good share of the Viola
Page 613 and 614:
ious and shameless innocence with k
Page 615 and 616:
stairs. At the moment of opening th
Page 617 and 618:
sala. The prosperous majordomo rema
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has something to say to you alone.
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aim. I myself could have done no be
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lost for ever.’After hearing thes
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photographer, small, frail, bloodth
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‘You have killed Gian’ Battista
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