Ностромо

           ThepopulacewasmaderestlessbyFatherCorbelan’sdiscourses.AndthefirstmagistrateexplainedtoCharlesGouldthatnowtheprovincewasstrippedoftroopsanyoutbreakoflawlessnesswouldfindtheauthoritieswiththeirbootsoff,asitwere.

           Thenhewentawaymoodilytositinanarmchair,smokingalong,thincigar,notveryfarfromDonJose,withwhom,bendingoversideways,heexchangedafewwordsfromtimetotime.Heignoredtheentranceofthepriest,andwheneverFatherCorbelan’svoicewasraisedbehindhim,heshruggedhisshouldersimpatiently.

           FatherCorbelanhadremainedquitemotionlessforatimewiththatsomethingvengefulinhisimmobilitywhichseemedtocharacterizeallhisattitudes.Aluridglowofstrongconvictionsgaveitspeculiaraspecttotheblackfigure.Butitsfiercenessbecamesoftenedasthepadre,fixinghiseyesuponDecoud,raisedhislong,blackarmslowly,impressively—

           “Andyou—youareaperfectheathen,”hesaid,inasubdued,deepvoice.

           Hemadeastepnearer,pointingaforefingerattheyoungman’sbreast.Decoud,verycalm,feltthewallbehindthecurtainwiththebackofhishead.Then,withhischintiltedwellup,hesmiled.

           “Verywell,”heagreedwiththeslightlywearynonchalanceofamanwellusedtothesepassages.“ButisitperhapsthatyouhavenotdiscoveredyetwhatistheGodofmyworship?ItwasaneasiertaskwithourBarrios.