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

was to remark that concessions flew about thick in the air ofCostaguana. Any simple soul that just yearned to be takenin could bring down a concession at the first shot.‘Our consuls get their mouths stopped with them,’ hecontinued, with a twinkle of genial scorn in his eyes. But ina moment he became grave. ‘A conscientious, upright man,that cares nothing for boodle, and keeps clear of their intrigues,conspiracies, and factions, soon gets his passports.See that, Mr. Gould? Persona non grata. That’s the reasonour Government is never properly informed. On the otherhand, Europe must be kept out of this continent, and forproper interference on our part the time is not yet ripe, Idare say. But we here—we are not this country’s Government,neither are we simple souls. Your affair is all right.The main question for us is whether the second partner, andthat’s you, is the right sort to hold his own against the thirdand unwelcome partner, which is one or another of the highand mighty robber gangs that run the Costaguana Government.What do you think, Mr. Gould, eh?’He bent forward to look steadily into the unflinchingeyes of Charles Gould, who, remembering the large boxfull of his father’s letters, put the accumulated scorn andbitterness of many years into the tone of his answer—‘As far as the knowledge of these men and their methodsand their politics is concerned, I can answer for myself. Ihave been fed on that sort of knowledge since I was a boy.I am not likely to fall into mistakes from excess of optimism.’‘Not likely, eh? That’s all right. Tact and a stiff upper