Ностромо

           “WhereisthesilveroftheSanTomemine?Iaskyou,Mitchell,whereisthesilverthatwasdepositedinthisCustomHouse?Answermethat!Youstoleit.Youwereapartytostealingit.ItwasstolenfromtheGovernment.Aha!youthinkIdonotknowwhatIsay;butIamuptoyourforeigntricks.Itisgone,thesilver!No?Goneinoneofyourlanchas,youmiserableman!Howdaredyou?”

           Thistimeheproducedhiseffect.“HowonearthcouldSotilloknowthat?”thoughtMitchell.Hishead,theonlypartofhisbodythatcouldmove,betrayedhissurprisebyasuddenjerk.

           “Ha!youtremble,”Sotilloshouted,suddenly.“Itisaconspiracy.ItisacrimeagainsttheState.DidyounotknowthatthesilverbelongstotheRepublictilltheGovernmentclaimsaresatisfied?Whereisit?Wherehaveyouhiddenit,youmiserablethief?”

           AtthisquestionCaptainMitchell’ssinkingspiritsrevived.InwhateverincomprehensiblemannerSotillohadalreadygothisinformationaboutthelighter,hehadnotcapturedit.Thatwasclear.Inhisoutragedheart,CaptainMitchellhadresolvedthatnothingwouldinducehimtosayawordwhileheremainedsodisgracefullybound,buthisdesiretohelptheescapeofthesilvermadehimdepartfromthisresolution.Hiswitswereverymuchatwork.HedetectedinSotilloacertainairofdoubt,ofirresolution.

           “Thatman,”hesaidtohimself,“isnotcertainofwhatheadvances.