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

with Martin Decoud; she seemed to hear in the silence thevoice of that man, dead miserably so many years ago, pronouncethe words, ‘Antonia left her fan here.’ But it was thedoctor’s voice that spoke, a little altered by his excitement.She remarked his shining eyes.‘Mrs. Gould, you are wanted. Do you know what hashappened? You remember what I told you yesterday aboutNostromo. Well, it seems that a lancha, a decked boat, comingfrom Zapiga, with four negroes in her, passing closeto the Great Isabel, was hailed from the cliff by a woman’svoice—Linda’s, as a matter of fact—commanding them (it’sa moonlight night) to go round to the beach and take upa wounded man to the town. The patron (from whom I’veheard all this), of course, did so at once. He told me thatwhen they got round to the low side of the Great Isabel, theyfound Linda Viola waiting for them. They followed her:she led them under a tree not far from the cottage. Therethey found Nostromo lying on the ground with his head inthe younger girl’s lap, and father Viola standing some distanceoff leaning on his gun. Under Linda’s direction theygot a table out of the cottage for a stretcher, after breakingoff the legs. They are here, Mrs. Gould. I mean Nostromoand—and Giselle. The negroes brought him in to the firstaidhospital near the harbour. He made the attendant sendfor me. But it was not me he wanted to see—it was you, Mrs.Gould! It was you.’‘Me?’ whispered Mrs. Gould, shrinking a little.‘Yes, you!’ the doctor burst out. ‘He begged me—his enemy,as he thinks—to bring you to him at once. It seems he