Ностромо
Chapter 8
Withasmiletoherhusband’ssingle,quick,upwardglance,shewouldwatchthewholethingstreampastbelowherfeetwithanorderlyuproar,tillsheansweredbyafriendlysignthesaluteofthegallopingDonPepe,thestiff,deferentialinclinationwithasweepofthehatbelowtheknee.
Thestringofpadlockedcartslengthened,thesizeoftheescortgrewbiggerastheyearswenton.EverythreemonthsanincreasingstreamoftreasuresweptthroughthestreetsofSulacoonitswaytothestrongroomintheO.S.N.Co.‘sbuildingbytheharbour,theretoawaitshipmentfortheNorth.Increasinginvolume,andofimmensevaluealso;for,asCharlesGouldtoldhiswifeoncewithsomeexultation,therehadneverbeenseenanythingintheworldtoapproachtheveinoftheGouldConcession.Forthemboth,eachpassingoftheescortunderthebalconiesoftheCasaGouldwaslikeanothervictorygainedintheconquestofpeaceforSulaco.
NodoubttheinitialactionofCharlesGouldhadbeenhelpedatthebeginningbyaperiodofcomparativepeacewhichoccurredjustaboutthattime;andalsobythegeneralsofteningofmannersascomparedwiththeepochofcivilwarswhencehademergedtheirontyrannyofGuzmanBentooffearfulmemory.Intheconteststhatbrokeoutattheendofhisrule(whichhadkeptpeaceinthecountryforawholefifteenyears)therewasmorefatuousimbecility,plentyofcrueltyandsufferingstill,butmuchlessoftheold-timefierceandblindlyferociouspoliticalfanaticism.
