Ностромо

           Itwasengenderedpartlybyanexistenceofexcitement,adventure,andwildwarfare.Butmostlyitwasamatterofprinciple.Itdidnotresemblethecarelessnessofacondottiere,itwasapuritanismofconduct,bornofsternenthusiasmlikethepuritanismofreligion.

           ThissterndevotiontoacausehadcastagloomuponGiorgio’soldage.Itcastagloombecausethecauseseemedlost.ToomanykingsandemperorsflourishedyetintheworldwhichGodhadmeantforthepeople.Hewassadbecauseofhissimplicity.Thoughalwaysreadytohelphiscountrymen,andgreatlyrespectedbytheItalianemigrantswhereverhelived(inhisexilehecalledit),hecouldnotconcealfromhimselfthattheycarednothingforthewrongsofdown-troddennations.Theylistenedtohistalesofwarreadily,butseemedtoaskthemselveswhathehadgotoutofitafterall.Therewasnothingthattheycouldsee.“Wewantednothing,wesufferedfortheloveofallhumanity!”hecriedoutfuriouslysometimes,andthepowerfulvoice,theblazingeyes,theshakingofthewhitemane,thebrown,sinewyhandpointingupwardsasiftocallheaventowitness,impressedhishearers.Aftertheoldmanhadbrokenoffabruptlywithajerkoftheheadandamovementofthearm,meaningclearly,“Butwhat’sthegoodoftalkingtoyou?”theynudgedeachother.TherewasinoldGiorgioanenergyoffeeling,apersonalqualityofconviction,somethingtheycalled“terribilita”—“anoldlion,”theyusedtosayofhim.