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

in the private budgets of many officials as well. It was traditional.It was known. It was said. It was credible. EveryMinister of Interior drew a salary from the San Tome mine.It was natural. And Pedrito intended to be Minister of theInterior and President of the Council in his brother’s Government.The Duc de Morny had occupied those high postsduring the Second French Empire with conspicuous advantageto himself.A table, a chair, a wooden bedstead had been procuredfor His Excellency, who, after a short siesta, rendered absolutelynecessary by the labours and the pomps of his entryinto Sulaco, had been getting hold of the administrative machineby making appointments, giving orders, and signingproclamations. Alone with Charles Gould in the audienceroom, His Excellency managed with his well-known skillto conceal his annoyance and consternation. He had begunat first to talk loftily of confiscation, but the want of allproper feeling and mobility in the Senor Administrador’sfeatures ended by affecting adversely his power of masterfulexpression. Charles Gould had repeated: ‘The Governmentcan certainly bring about the destruction of the San Tomemine if it likes; but without me it can do nothing else.’ It wasan alarming pronouncement, and well calculated to hurtthe sensibilities of a politician whose mind is bent upon thespoils of victory. And Charles Gould said also that the destructionof the San Tome mine would cause the ruin ofother undertakings, the withdrawal of European capital,the withholding, most probably, of the last instalment of theforeign loan. That stony fiend of a man said all these things