Ностромо

           Gouldhadlookedseveraltimesoverhisshoulderashewrote;buttheSenorAdministrador,standingstraddle-legged,wouldnotevenglanceatitwhenitwasfinished.Hehadwaveditawayfirmly.Itmusthavebeenscorn,andnotcaution,sincehenevermadearemarkabouttheuseoftheAdministration’spaperforsuchacompromisingdocument.Andthatshowedhisdisdain,thetrueEnglishdisdainofcommonprudence,asifeverythingoutsidetherangeoftheirownthoughtsandfeelingswereunworthyofseriousrecognition.DecoudhadthetimeinasecondortwotobecomefuriouslyangrywithCharlesGould,andevenresentfulagainstMrs.Gould,inwhosecare,tacitlyitistrue,hehadleftthesafetyofAntonia.Betterperishathousandtimesthanoweyourpreservationtosuchpeople,heexclaimedmentally.ThegripofNostromo’sfingersneverremovedfromhisshoulder,tighteningfiercely,recalledhimtohimself.

           “Thedarknessisourfriend,”theCapatazmurmuredintohisear.“Iamgoingtolowerthesail,andtrustourescapetothisblackgulf.Noeyescouldmakeusoutlyingsilentwithanakedmast.Iwilldoitnow,beforethissteamerclosesstillmoreuponus.ThefaintcreakofablockwouldbetrayusandtheSanTometreasureintothehandsofthosethieves.”

           Hemovedaboutaswarilyasacat.Decoudheardnosound;anditwasonlybythedisappearanceofthesquareblotchofdarknessthatheknewtheyardhadcomedown,loweredascarefullyasifithadbeenmadeofglass.