Ностромо
Chapter 7
’
“Meanwhile,DonJustehadbegunaponderedorationwhosesolemneffectwasspoiledbytheridiculousdisastertohisbeard.Ididnotwaittomakeitout.HeseemedtoarguethatMontero’s(hecalledhimTheGeneral)intentionswereprobablynotevil,though,hewenton,‘thatdistinguishedman’(onlyaweekagoweusedtocallhimagran’bestia)‘wasperhapsmistakenastothetruemeans.’Asyoumayimagine,Ididn’tstaytoheartherest.IknowtheintentionsofMontero’sbrother,Pedrito,theguerrillero,whomIexposedinParis,someyearsago,inacafefrequentedbySouthAmericanstudents,wherehetriedtopasshimselfoffforaSecretaryofLegation.Heusedtocomeinandtalkforhours,twistinghisfelthatinhishairypaws,andhisambitionseemedtobecomeasortofDucdeMornytoasortofNapoleon.Already,then,heusedtotalkofhisbrotherininflatedterms.Heseemedfairlysafefrombeingfoundout,becausethestudents,alloftheBlancofamilies,didnot,asyoumayimagine,frequenttheLegation.ItwasonlyDecoud,amanwithoutfaithandprinciples,astheyusedtosay,thatwentintheresometimesforthesakeofthefun,asitweretoanassemblyoftrainedmonkeys.Iknowhisintentions.Ihaveseenhimchangetheplatesattable.Whoeverisallowedtoliveoninterror,Imustdiethedeath.
“No,Ididn’tstaytotheendtohearDonJusteLopeztryingtopersuadehimselfinagraveorationoftheclemencyandjustice,andhonesty,andpurityofthebrothersMontero.
