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

The Capataz drank greedily. A slight flush deepenedthe bronze of his cheek. Before him, Viola, with a turn ofhis white and massive head towards the staircase, took hisempty pipe out of his mouth, and pronounced slowly—‘After the shot was fired down here, which killed her assurely as if the bullet had struck her oppressed heart, shecalled upon you to save the children. Upon you, Gian’ Battista.’The Capataz looked up.‘Did she do that, Padrone? To save the children! They arewith the English senora, their rich benefactress. Hey! oldman of the people. Thy benefactress. …’‘I am old,’ muttered Giorgio Viola. ‘An Englishwomanwas allowed to give a bed to Garibaldi lying woundedin prison. The greatest man that ever lived. A man of thepeople, too—a sailor. I may let another keep a roof over myhead. Si … I am old. I may let her. Life lasts too long sometimes.’‘And she herself may not have a roof over her head beforemany days are out, unless I … What do you say? Am Ito keep a roof over her head? Am I to try—and save all theBlancos together with her?’‘You shall do it,’ said old Viola in a strong voice. ‘Youshall do it as my son would have….’‘Thy son, viejo! .. .. There never has been a man like thyson. Ha, I must try…. But what if it were only a part of thecurse to lure me on? … And so she called upon me to save—and then——?’‘She spoke no more.’ The heroic follower of Garibaldi, at