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Chapter 5
Onlyatallprieststalkingsilentlyinthenoiseofthesalacheckedhimselftolookafterthem.FatherCorbelan,whomDecoudhadseenfromthebalconyturningintothegatewayoftheCasaGould,hadaddressednoonesincecomingin.Thelong,skimpysoutaneaccentuatedthetallnessofhisstature;hecarriedhispowerfultorsothrownforward;andthestraight,blackbarofhisjoinedeyebrows,thepugnaciousoutlineofthebonyface,thewhitespotofascaronthebluishshavencheeks(atestimonialtohisapostoliczealfromapartyofunconvertedIndians),suggestedsomethingunlawfulbehindhispriesthood,theideaofachaplainofbandits.
Heseparatedhisbony,knottedhandsclaspedbehindhisback,toshakehisfingeratMartin.
DecoudhadsteppedintotheroomafterAntonia.Buthedidnotgofar.Hehadremainedjustwithin,againstthecurtain,withanexpressionofnotquitegenuinegravity,likeagrown-uppersontakingpartinagameofchildren.Hegazedquietlyatthethreateningfinger.
“IhavewatchedyourreverenceconvertingGeneralBarriosbyaspecialsermononthePlaza,”hesaid,withoutmakingtheslightestmovement.
“Whatmiserablenonsense!”FatherCorbelan’sdeepvoiceresoundedallovertheroom,makingalltheheadsturnontheshoulders.“Themanisadrunkard.
