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

most daily, the pompous and testy self-importance of theold seaman had grown irksome with use to Nostromo. Atfirst it had given him an inward satisfaction. But the necessityof overcoming small obstacles becomes wearisometo a self-confident personality as much by the certitude ofsuccess as by the monotony of effort. He mistrusted his superior’sproneness to fussy action. That old Englishman hadno judgment, he said to himself. It was useless to supposethat, acquainted with the true state of the case, he wouldkeep it to himself. He would talk of doing impracticablethings. Nostromo feared him as one would fear saddlingone’s self with some persistent worry. He had no discretion.He would betray the treasure. And Nostromo had made uphis mind that the treasure should not be betrayed.The word had fixed itself tenaciously in his intelligence.His imagination had seized upon the clear and simplenotion of betrayal to account for the dazed feeling of enlightenmentas to being done for, of having inadvertentlygone out of his existence on an issue in which his personalityhad not been taken into account. A man betrayed isa man destroyed. Signora Teresa (may God have her soul!)had been right. He had never been taken into account. Destroyed!Her white form sitting up bowed in bed, the fallingblack hair, the wide-browed suffering face raised to him,the anger of her denunciations appeared to him now majesticwith the awfulness of inspiration and of death. For itwas not for nothing that the evil bird had uttered its lamentableshriek over his head. She was dead—may God haveher soul!