Ностромо

           Theygavehimhisdinnerinastonehutlikeacubicalboulder,withnodoororwindowsinitstwoopenings;abrightfireofsticks(broughtonmulebackfromthefirstvalleybelow)burningoutside,sentinawaveringglare;andtwocandlesintincandlesticks—lighted,itwasexplainedtohim,inhishonour—stoodonasortofroughcamptable,atwhichhesatontherighthandofthechief.Heknewhowtobeamiable;andtheyoungmenoftheengineeringstaff,forwhomthesurveyingoftherailwaytrackhadtheglamourofthefirststepsonthepathoflife,satthere,too,listeningmodestly,withtheirsmoothfacestannedbytheweather,andverypleasedtowitnesssomuchaffabilityinsogreataman.

           Afterwards,lateatnight,pacingtoandfrooutside,hehadalongtalkwithhischiefengineer.Heknewhimwellofold.Thiswasnotthefirstundertakinginwhichtheirgifts,aselementallydifferentasfireandwater,hadworkedinconjunction.Fromthecontactofthesetwopersonalities,whohadnotthesamevisionoftheworld,therewasgeneratedapowerfortheworld’sservice—asubtleforcethatcouldsetinmotionmightymachines,men’smuscles,andawakenalsoinhumanbreastsanunboundeddevotiontothetask.Oftheyoungfellowsatthetable,towhomthesurveyofthetrackwaslikethetracingofthepathoflife,morethanonewouldbecalledtomeetdeathbeforetheworkwasdone.Buttheworkwouldbedone:theforcewouldbealmostasstrongasafaith.Notquite,however.