Ностромо
Chapter 6
TherumourhasjustreachedCayta,andthemaninchargeofthecablestationtherehastelegraphedthenewstohiscolleaguehere.WemightjustaswellhavekeptBarriosinSulaco.”
“What’stobedonenow?”murmuredMrs.Gould.
“Nothing.He’satseawiththetroops.HewillgettoCaytainacoupleofdays’timeandlearnthenewsthere.Whathewilldothen,whocansay?HoldCayta?OfferhissubmissiontoMontero?Disbandhisarmy—thislastmostlikely,andgohimselfinoneoftheO.S.N.Company’ssteamers,northorsouth—toValparaisoortoSanFrancisco,nomatterwhere.OurBarrioshasagreatpracticeinexilesandrepatriations,whichmarkthepointsinthepoliticalgame.”
Decoud,exchangingasteadystarewithMrs.Gould,added,tentatively,asitwere,“Andyet,ifwehadcouldhavebeendone.”
“Monterovictorious,completelyvictorious!”Mrs.Gouldbreathedoutinatoneofunbelief.
“Acanard,probably.Thatsortofbirdishatchedingreatnumbersinsuchtimesasthese.Andevenifitweretrue?Well,letusputthingsattheirworst,letussayitistrue.”
“Theneverythingislost,”saidMrs.Gould,withthecalmnessofdespair.
Suddenlysheseemedtodivine,sheseemedtoseeDecoud’stremendousexcitementunderitscloakofstudiedcarelessness.Itwas,indeed,becomingvisibleinhisaudaciousandwatchfulstare,inthecurve,half-reckless,half-contemptuous,ofhislips.
