Ностромо

           Thesewerefacts,and,unlessfactsmeantnothing,SirJohnarguedtohimself,suchaman’sinfluencemustbereal,andhispersonalactionwouldproducetheconciliatoryeffectherequired.Hehadsucceededinarrangingthetripwiththehelpofaverycleveradvocate,whowasknowninSta.MartaastheagentoftheGouldsilvermine,thebiggestthinginSulaco,andeveninthewholeRepublic.Itwasindeedafabulouslyrichmine.Itsso-calledagent,evidentlyamanofcultureandability,seemed,withoutofficialposition,topossessanextraordinaryinfluenceinthehighestGovernmentspheres.HewasabletoassureSirJohnthatthePresident-Dictatorwouldmakethejourney.Heregretted,however,inthecourseofthesameconversation,thatGeneralMonteroinsistedupongoing,too.

           GeneralMontero,whomthebeginningofthestrugglehadfoundanobscurearmycaptainemployedonthewildeasternfrontieroftheState,hadthrowninhislotwiththeRibierapartyatamomentwhenspecialcircumstanceshadgiventhatsmalladhesionafortuitousimportance.Thefortunesofwarservedhimmarvellously,andthevictoryofRioSeco(afteradayofdesperatefighting)putasealtohissuccess.AttheendheemergedGeneral,MinisterofWar,andthemilitaryheadoftheBlancoparty,althoughtherewasnothingaristocraticinhisdescent.Indeed,itwassaidthatheandhisbrother,orphans,hadbeenbroughtupbythemunificenceofafamousEuropeantraveller,inwhoseservicetheirfatherhadlosthislife.