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

indispensable man escaped his influence, because of thatindelible blot which made him fit for dirty work. A feelingas of sickness came upon the doctor. He would have givenanything to know, but he dared not clear up the point. Thefanaticism of his devotion, fed on the sense of his abasement,hardened his heart in sadness and scorn.‘Why not, indeed?’ he reechoed, sardonically. ‘Then thesafe thing for you is to kill me on the spot. I would defendmyself. But you may just as well know I am going about unarmed.’‘Por Dios!’ said the Capataz, passionately. ‘You fine peopleare all alike. All dangerous. All betrayers of the poorwho are your dogs.’‘You do not understand,’ began the doctor, slowly.‘I understand you all!’ cried the other with a violentmovement, as shadowy to the doctor’s eyes as the persistentimmobility of the late Senor Hirsch. ‘A poor man amongstyou has got to look after himself. I say that you do not carefor those that serve you. Look at me! After all these years,suddenly, here I find myself like one of these curs that barkoutside the walls —without a kennel or a dry bone for myteeth. (Caramba!’ But he relented with a contemptuous fairness.‘Of course,’ he went on, quietly, ‘I do not suppose thatyou would hasten to give me up to Sotillo, for example. It isnot that. It is that I am nothing! Suddenly—‘ He swung hisarm downwards. ‘Nothing to any one,’ he repeated.The doctor breathed freely. ‘Listen, Capataz,’ he said,stretching out his arm almost affectionately towards Nostromo’sshoulder. ‘I am going to tell you a very simple thing.