Ностромо
Chapter 6
FatherRomanwassaddenedattheideaofhisflockbeingscatteredorelseenslaved.Hehadnoillusionsastotheirfate,notfrompenetration,butfromlongexperienceofpoliticalatrocities,whichseemedtohimfatalandunavoidableinthelifeofaState.Theworkingoftheusualpublicinstitutionspresenteditselftohimmostdistinctlyasaseriesofcalamitiesovertakingprivateindividualsandflowinglogicallyfromeachotherthroughhate,revenge,folly,andrapacity,asthoughtheyhadbeenpartofadivinedispensation.FatherRoman’sclear-sightednesswasservedbyanuninformedintelligence;buthisheart,preservingitstendernessamongstscenesofcarnage,spoliation,andviolence,abhorredthesecalamitiesthemoreashisassociationwiththevictimswascloser.HeentertainedtowardstheIndiansofthevalleyfeelingsofpaternalscorn.Hehadbeenmarrying,baptizing,confessing,absolving,andburyingtheworkersoftheSanTomeminewithdignityandunctionforfiveyearsormore;andhebelievedinthesacrednessoftheseministrations,whichmadethemhisowninaspiritualsense.Theyweredeartohissacerdotalsupremacy.Mrs.Gould’searnestinterestintheconcernsofthesepeopleenhancedtheirimportanceinthepriest’seyes,becauseitreallyaugmentedhisown.WhentalkingoverwithhertheinnumerableMariasandBrigidasofthevillages,hefelthisownhumanityexpand.PadreRomanwasincapableoffanaticismtoanalmostreprehensibledegree.
