Ностромо
Chapter 4
”AndFatherBeronwouldgooutsideaftertheclankingprisoner,ledawaybetweentwosoldiers.Suchinterludeshappenedonmanydays,manytimes,withmanyprisoners.Whentheprisonerreturnedhewasreadytomakeafullconfession,FatherBeronwoulddeclare,leaningforwardwiththatdull,surfeitedlookwhichcanbeseenintheeyesofgluttonouspersonsafteraheavymeal.
Thepriest’sinquisitorialinstinctssufferedbutlittlefromthewantofclassicalapparatusoftheInquisitionAtnotimeoftheworld’shistoryhavemenbeenatalosshowtoinflictmentalandbodilyanguishupontheirfellow-creatures.Thisaptitudecametotheminthegrowingcomplexityoftheirpassionsandtheearlyrefinementoftheiringenuity.Butitmaysafelybesaidthatprimevalmandidnotgotothetroubleofinventingtortures.Hewasindolentandpureofheart.Hebrainedhisneighbourferociouslywithastoneaxefromnecessityandwithoutmalice.Thestupidestmindmayinventaranklingphraseorbrandtheinnocentwithacruelaspersion.Apieceofstringandaramrod;afewmusketsincombinationwithalengthofhiderope;orevenasimplemalletofheavy,hardwoodappliedwithaswingtohumanfingersortothejointsofahumanbodyisenoughfortheinflictionofthemostexquisitetorture.Thedoctorhadbeenaverystubbornprisoner,and,asanaturalconsequenceofthat“baddisposition”(soFatherBeroncalledit),hissubjugationhadbeenverycrushingandverycomplete.
