Ностромо
Chapter 5
Nooneisapatriotfornothing.Thewordservesuswell.ButIamclear-sighted,andIshallnotusethatwordtoyou,Antonia!Ihavenopatrioticillusions.Ihaveonlythesupremeillusionofalover.”
Hepaused,thenmutteredalmostinaudibly,“Thatcanleadoneveryfar,though.”
Behindtheirbacksthepoliticaltidethatonceineverytwenty-fourhourssetwithastrongfloodthroughtheGoulddrawing-roomcouldbeheard,risinghigherinahumofvoices.Menhadbeendroppinginsingly,orintwosandthrees:thehigherofficialsoftheprovince,engineersoftherailway,sunburntandintweeds,withthefrostedheadoftheirchiefsmilingwithslow,humorousindulgenceamongsttheyoungeagerfaces.Scarfe,theloveroffandangos,hadalreadyslippedoutinsearchofsomedance,nomatterwhere,ontheoutskirtsofthetown.DonJusteLopez,aftertakinghisdaughtershome,hadenteredsolemnly,inablackcreasedcoatbuttonedupunderhisspreadingbrownbeard.ThefewmembersoftheProvincialAssemblypresentclusteredatoncearoundtheirPresidenttodiscussthenewsofthewarandthelastproclamationoftherebelMontero,themiserableMontero,callinginthenameof“ajustlyincenseddemocracy”uponalltheProvincialAssembliesoftheRepublictosuspendtheirsittingstillhisswordhadmadepeaceandthewillofthepeoplecouldbeconsulted.Itwaspracticallyaninvitationtodissolve:anunheard-ofaudacityofthatevilmadman.
