Ностромо
Chapter 5
“Ihaveinventedthisdefinition,thislastwordonagreatquestion.ButIamnopatriot.IamnomoreofapatriotthantheCapatazoftheSulacoCargadores,thisGenoesewhohasdonesuchgreatthingsforthisharbour—thisactiveusher-inofthematerialimplementsforourprogress.YouhaveheardCaptainMitchellconfessoverandoveragainthattillhegotthismanhecouldnevertellhowlongitwouldtaketounloadaship.Thatisbadforprogress.Youhaveseenhimpassbyafterhislaboursonhisfamoushorsetodazzlethegirlsinsomeballroomwithanearthenfloor.Heisafortunatefellow!Hisworkisanexerciseofpersonalpowers;hisleisureisspentinreceivingthemarksofextraordinaryadulation.Andhelikesit,too.Cananybodybemorefortunate?Tobefearedandadmiredis—”
“Andaretheseyourhighestaspirations,DonMartin?”interruptedAntonia.
“Iwasspeakingofamanofthatsort,”saidDecoud,curtly.“Theheroesoftheworldhavebeenfearedandadmired.Whatmorecouldhewant?”
DecoudhadoftenfelthisfamiliarhabitofironicthoughtfallshatteredagainstAntonia’sgravity.Sheirritatedhimasifshe,too,hadsufferedfromthatinexplicablefeminineobtusenesswhichstandssooftenbetweenamanandawomanofthemoreordinarysort.Butheovercamehisvexationatonce.HewasveryfarfromthinkingAntoniaordinary,whateververdicthisscepticismmighthavepronounceduponhimself.
