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

and generosity, had the fastidious soul of an experiencedwoman. She was, before all things and all flatteries, carefulof her pride in the object of her choice. But now he was actuallynot looking at her at all; and his expression was tenseand irrational, as is natural in a man who elects to stare atnothing past a young girl’s head.‘Well, yes. It was iniquitous. They corrupted him thoroughly,the poor old boy. Oh! why wouldn’t he let me goback to him? But now I shall know how to grapple withthis.’After pronouncing these words with immense assurance,he glanced down at her, and at once fell a prey to distress,incertitude, and fear.The only thing he wanted to know now, he said, waswhether she did love him enough—whether she would havethe courage to go with him so far away? He put these questionsto her in a voice that trembled with anxiety—for hewas a determined man.She did. She would. And immediately the future hostessof all the Europeans in Sulaco had the physical experienceof the earth falling away from under her. It vanished completely,even to the very sound of the bell. When her feettouched the ground again, the bell was still ringing in thevalley; she put her hands up to her hair, breathing quickly,and glanced up and down the stony lane. It was reassuringlyempty. Meantime, Charles, stepping with one foot into adry and dusty ditch, picked up the open parasol, which hadbounded away from them with a martial sound of drumtaps. He handed it to her soberly, a little crestfallen.