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Chapter 5
Whatanout-of-the-wayplaceSulacois!—andforaharbour,too!Astonishing!”
“Ah,butweareveryproudofit.Itusedtobehistoricallyimportant.Thehighestecclesiasticalcourtfortwoviceroyalties,sathereintheoldentime,”sheinstructedhimwithanimation.
“Iamimpressed.Ididn’tmeantobedisparaging.Youseemverypatriotic.”
“Theplaceislovable,ifonlybyitssituation.Perhapsyoudon’tknowwhatanoldresidentIam.”
“Howold,Iwonder,”hemurmured,lookingatherwithaslightsmile.Mrs.Gould’sappearancewasmadeyouthfulbythemobileintelligenceofherface.“Wecan’tgiveyouyourecclesiasticalcourtbackagain;butyoushallhavemoresteamers,arailway,atelegraph-cable—afutureinthegreatworldwhichisworthinfinitelymorethananyamountofecclesiasticalpast.Youshallbebroughtintouchwithsomethinggreaterthantwoviceroyalties.ButIhadnonotionthataplaceonasea-coastcouldremainsoisolatedfromtheworld.Ifithadbeenathousandmilesinlandnow—mostremarkable!Hasanythingeverhappenedhereforahundredyearsbeforeto-day?”
Whilehetalkedinaslow,humoroustone,shekeptherlittlesmile.Agreeingironically,sheassuredhimthatcertainlynot—nothingeverhappenedinSulaco.Eventherevolutions,ofwhichtherehadbeentwoinhertime,hadrespectedthereposeoftheplace.
