Ностромо
Chapter 5
ItcouldneverhaveenteredhisheadthatPedritoMontero,lackeyorinferiorscribe,lodgedinthegarretsofthevariousParisianhotelswheretheCostaguanaLegationusedtoshelteritsdiplomaticdignity,hadbeendevouringthelightersortofhistoricalworksintheFrenchlanguage,such,forinstanceasthebooksofImbertdeSaintAmandupontheSecondEmpire.ButPedritohadbeenstruckbythesplendourofabrilliantcourt,andhadconceivedtheideaofanexistenceforhimselfwhere,liketheDucdeMorny,hewouldassociatethecommandofeverypleasurewiththeconductofpoliticalaffairsandenjoypowersupremelyineveryway.Nobodycouldhaveguessedthat.AndyetthiswasoneoftheimmediatecausesoftheMonteristRevolution.Thiswillappearlessincrediblebythereflectionthatthefundamentalcauseswerethesameasever,rootedinthepoliticalimmaturityofthepeople,intheindolenceoftheupperclassesandthementaldarknessofthelower.
PedritoMonterosawintheelevationofhisbrothertheroadwideopentohiswildestimaginings.ThiswaswhatmadetheMonteristpronunciamientosounpreventable.Thegeneralhimselfprobablycouldhavebeenboughtoff,pacifiedwithflatteries,despatchedonadiplomaticmissiontoEurope.Itwashisbrotherwhohadeggedhimonfromfirsttolast.HewantedtobecomethemostbrilliantstatesmanofSouthAmerica.Hedidnotdesiresupremepower.Hewouldhavebeenafraidofitslabourandrisk,infact.
