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

that treasure, for that wealth of silver which he seemed tofeel somewhere about, to scent somewhere near.But where? Where? Heavens! Where? Oh! why had heallowed that doctor to go! Imbecile that he was. But no! Itwas the only right course, he reflected distractedly, whilethe messenger waited downstairs chatting agreeably to theofficers. It was in that scoundrelly doctor’s true interestto return with positive information. But what if anythingstopped him? A general prohibition to leave the town, forinstance! There would be patrols!The colonel, seizing his head in his hands, turned in histracks as if struck with vertigo. A flash of craven inspirationsuggested to him an expedient not unknown to Europeanstatesmen when they wish to delay a difficult negotiation.Booted and spurred, he scrambled into the hammock withundignified haste. His handsome face had turned yellowwith the strain of weighty cares. The ridge of his shapelynose had grown sharp; the audacious nostrils appearedmean and pinched. The velvety, caressing glance of his fineeyes seemed dead, and even decomposed; for these almondshaped,languishing orbs had become inappropriatelybloodshot with much sinister sleeplessness. He addressedthe surprised envoy of Senor Fuentes in a deadened, exhaustedvoice. It came pathetically feeble from under a pileof ponchos, which buried his elegant person right up tothe black moustaches, uncurled, pendant, in sign of bodilyprostration and mental incapacity. Fever, fever—a heavyfever had overtaken the ‘muy valliente’ colonel. A waveringwildness of expression, caused by the passing spasms