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

y the slow descent of heavy eyelids.‘Behold thy husband, master, and benefactor.’ Old Viola’svoice resounded with a force that seemed to fill the wholegulf.She stepped forward with her eyes nearly closed, like asleep-walker in a beatific dream.Nostromo made a superhuman effort. ‘It is time, Linda,we two were betrothed,’ he said, steadily, in his level, careless,unbending tone.She put her hand into his offered palm, lowering herhead, dark with bronze glints, upon which her father’s handrested for a moment.‘And so the soul of the dead is satisfied.’This came from Giorgio Viola, who went on talking fora while of his dead wife; while the two, sitting side by side,never looked at each other. Then the old man ceased; andLinda, motionless, began to speak.‘Ever since I felt I lived in the world, I have lived for youalone, Gian’ Battista. And that you knew! You knew it …Battistino.’She pronounced the name exactly with her mother’s intonation.A gloom as of the grave covered Nostromo’s heart.‘Yes. I knew,’ he said.The heroic Garibaldino sat on the same bench bowinghis hoary head, his old soul dwelling alone with its memories,tender and violent, terrible and dreary—solitary on theearth full of men.And Linda, his best-loved daughter, was saying, ‘I wasyours ever since I can remember. I had only to think of