Ностромо

           HehadmanagedtodeceivebyhisgiftofplausibilitythechiefsoftheRibieristmovementinthecapital,andeventheacuteagentoftheSanTomeminehadfailedtounderstandhimthoroughly.Atoncehehadobtainedanenormousinfluenceoverhisbrother.Theywereverymuchalikeinappearance,bothbald,withbunchesofcrisphairabovetheirears,arguingthepresenceofsomenegroblood.OnlyPedrowassmallerthanthegeneral,moredelicatealtogether,withanape-likefacultyforimitatingalltheoutwardsignsofrefinementanddistinction,andwithaparrot-liketalentforlanguages.BothbrothershadreceivedsomeelementaryinstructionbythemunificenceofagreatEuropeantraveller,towhomtheirfatherhadbeenabody-servantduringhisjourneysintheinteriorofthecountry.InGeneralMontero’scaseitenabledhimtorisefromtheranks.Pedrito,theyounger,incorrigiblylazyandslovenly,haddriftedaimlesslyfromonecoasttowntoanother,hangingaboutcounting-houses,attachinghimselftostrangersasasortofvalet-de-place,pickingupaneasyanddisreputableliving.Hisabilitytoreaddidnothingforhimbutfillhisheadwithabsurdvisions.Hisactionswereusuallydeterminedbymotivessoimprobableinthemselvesastoescapethepenetrationofarationalperson.

           ThusatfirstsighttheagentoftheGouldConcessioninSta.Martahadcreditedhimwiththepossessionofsaneviews,andevenwitharestrainingpoweroverthegeneral’severlastinglydiscontentedvanity.