Ностромо
Chapter 3
Forherself,hermindwasmadeup;shewouldrejoinheruncle;shewouldentrustthelastday—thelasthoursperhaps—ofherfather’slifetothekeepingofthebandit,whoseexistencewasaprotestagainsttheirresponsibletyrannyofallpartiesalike,againstthemoraldarknessoftheland.ThegloomofLosHatoswoodswaspreferable;alifeofhardshipsinthetrainofarobberbandlessdebasing.Antoniaembracedwithallhersoulheruncle’sobstinatedefianceofmisfortune.Itwasgroundedinthebeliefinthemanwhomsheloved.
InhismessagetheVicar-GeneralanswereduponhisheadforHernandez’sfidelity.Astohispower,hepointedoutthathehadremainedunsubduedforsomanyyears.InthatletterDecoud’sideaofthenewOccidentalState(whoseflourishingandstableconditionisamatterofcommonknowledgenow)wasforthefirsttimemadepublicandusedasanargument.Hernandez,ex-banditandthelastgeneralofRibieristcreation,wasconfidentofbeingabletoholdthetractofcountrybetweenthewoodsofLosHatosandthecoastrangetillthatdevotedpatriot,DonMartinDecoud,couldbringGeneralBarriosbacktoSulacoforthereconquestofthetown.
“Heavenitselfwillsit.Providenceisonourside,”wroteFatherCorbelan;therewasnotimetoreflectuponortocontroverthisstatement;andifthediscussionstarteduponthereadingofthatletterintheAmarillaClubwasviolent,itwasalsoshortlived.
