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

marrying, baptizing, confessing, absolving, and buryingthe workers of the San Tome mine with dignity and unctionfor five years or more; and he believed in the sacrednessof these ministrations, which made them his own in a spiritualsense. They were dear to his sacerdotal supremacy.Mrs. Gould’s earnest interest in the concerns of these peopleenhanced their importance in the priest’s eyes, becauseit really augmented his own. When talking over with herthe innumerable Marias and Brigidas of the villages, he felthis own humanity expand. Padre Roman was incapable offanaticism to an almost reprehensible degree. The Englishsenora was evidently a heretic; but at the same time sheseemed to him wonderful and angelic. Whenever that confusedstate of his feelings occurred to him, while strolling,for instance, his breviary under his arm, in the wide shadeof the tamarind, he would stop short to inhale with a strongsnuffling noise a large quantity of snuff, and shake his headprofoundly. At the thought of what might befall the illustrioussenora presently, he became gradually overcome withdismay. He voiced it in an agitated murmur. Even Don Pepelost his serenity for a moment. He leaned forward stiffly.‘Listen, Padre. The very fact that those thieving macaquesin Sulaco are trying to find out the price of my honourproves that Senor Don Carlos and all in the Casa Gouldare safe. As to my honour, that also is safe, as every man,woman, and child knows. But the negro Liberals who havesnatched the town by surprise do not know that. Bueno. Letthem sit and wait. While they wait they can do no harm.’And he regained his composure. He regained it easily,