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ed in a stubborn voice. Then, in a few words, he describedthe story of his arrest and the circumstances of his release.‘I was going back to that silly scoundrel when we met,’ heconcluded.Nostromo had listened with profound attention. ‘Youhave made up your mind, then, to a speedy death,’ he mutteredthrough his clenched teeth.‘Perhaps, my illustrious Capataz,’ the doctor said, testily.‘You are not the only one here who can look an ugly deathin the face.’‘No doubt,’ mumbled Nostromo, loud enough to be overheard.‘There may be even more than two fools in this place.Who knows?’‘And that is my affair,’ said the doctor, curtly.‘As taking out the accursed silver to sea was my affair,’ retortedNostromo. ‘I see. Bueno! Each of us has his reasons.But you were the last man I conversed with before I started,and you talked to me as if I were a fool.’Nostromo had a great distaste for the doctor’s sardonictreatment of his great reputation. Decoud’s faintly ironicrecognition used to make him uneasy; but the familiarity ofa man like Don Martin was flattering, whereas the doctorwas a nobody. He could remember him a penniless outcast,slinking about the streets of Sulaco, without a single friendor acquaintance, till Don Carlos Gould took him into theservice of the mine.‘You may be very wise,’ he went on, thoughtfully, staringinto the obscurity of the room, pervaded by the gruesomeenigma of the tortured and murdered Hirsch. ‘But I am not
such a fool as when I started. I have learned one thing since,and that is that you are a dangerous man.’Dr. Monygham was too startled to do more thanexclaim—‘What is it you say?’‘If he could speak he would say the same thing,’ pursuedNostromo, with a nod of his shadowy head silhouettedagainst the starlit window.‘I do not understand you,’ said Dr. Monygham, faintly.‘No? Perhaps, if you had not confirmed Sotillo in hismadness, he would have been in no haste to give the estrapadeto that miserable Hirsch.’The doctor started at the suggestion. But his devotion, absorbingall his sensibilities, had left his heart steeled againstremorse and pity. Still, for complete relief, he felt the necessityof repelling it loudly and contemptuously.‘Bah! You dare to tell me that, with a man like Sotillo. Iconfess I did not give a thought to Hirsch. If I had it wouldhave been useless. Anybody can see that the luckless wretchwas doomed from the moment he caught hold of the anchor.He was doomed, I tell you! Just as I myself am doomed—most probably.’This is what Dr. Monygham said in answer to Nostromo’sremark, which was plausible enough to prick his conscience.He was not a callous man. But the necessity, the magnitude,the importance of the task he had taken upon himselfdwarfed all merely humane considerations. He had undertakenit in a fanatical spirit. He did not like it. To lie, todeceive, to circumvent even the basest of mankind was odi-
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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
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was sitting at the foot of the bed,
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their eyes on the doctor. But at th
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dark.‘Yes, that is exactly what I
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friend’s character is not my idea
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Only the slight limping shuffle cou
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tance.’Captain Mitchell was very
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creased. The guerrillero brother of
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saw the irony of it. Father Corbela
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drowning man catches at a straw. Fa
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over his shoulder.‘Drive carefull
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with the sergeant’s stripes on th
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day to join the democrats. We are g
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to turn, where the only chance of s
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his back against the rim of the fou
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had planned revolutions, who had be
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efusing, almost touched by the anxi
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senora had given into her charge th
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eyes, and in a tempestuous voice, b
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make a full confession, Father Bero
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fetters were struck off by the ligh
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of account the safety of her husban
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cident had brought to a point all t
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‘Antonia will kill herself!’ sh
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the cathedral. Three single strokes
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CHAPTER FIVEDURING the night the ex
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duplicity and cunning, together wit
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court, and had conceived the idea o
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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
Page 483 and 484: ought never to have left the mounta
Page 485 and 486: pest in his ears in time to hear th
Page 487: ‘Am I to understand, senor,’ No
Page 491 and 492: CHAPTER NINEDISTRACTED between doub
Page 493 and 494: that treasure, for that wealth of s
Page 495 and 496: come entangled in a perfect welter
Page 497 and 498: Complete silence. He quaked. It was
Page 499 and 500: whose one end was fastened to Senor
Page 501 and 502: its mouth closed askew. The colonel
Page 503 and 504: any future treacheries of that scou
Page 505 and 506: He was absolutely the only one. The
Page 507 and 508: You are safe because you are needed
Page 509 and 510: ‘I don’t know,’ burst out the
Page 511 and 512: Sotillo.’And Dr. Monygham stopped
Page 513 and 514: no divers, but he has a ship, boats
Page 515 and 516: Custom House, before he managed to
Page 517 and 518: laying about you with a stick among
Page 519 and 520: had left it twenty-four hours befor
Page 521 and 522: keen blade piercing his breast.The
Page 523 and 524: decaying strength.He extended his h
Page 525 and 526: The Capataz drank greedily. A sligh
Page 527 and 528: CHAPTER TENTHE next day was quiet i
Page 529 and 530: lish, French, Italians, all sorts
Page 531 and 532: of his safe. It was even for that s
Page 533 and 534: priest, everlastingly worrying the
Page 535 and 536: ticle to him and the force he has o
Page 537 and 538: 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
Page 569 and 570:
him that position? Who can say? Gen
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know how really good you are. You w
Page 573 and 574:
that incorruptible Capataz. Moreove
Page 575 and 576:
the Violas. As late as midnight at
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an old negro, who had been sitting
Page 579 and 580:
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
Page 585 and 586:
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
Page 591 and 592:
A sudden dread came upon the fearle
Page 593 and 594:
you for the earth to become empty t
Page 595 and 596:
her raised eyes remained fixed on n
Page 597 and 598:
‘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
Page 607 and 608:
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
Page 619 and 620:
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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