Ностромо

           Afterall,withhisEnglishparentageandEnglishupbringing,heperceivedthathewasanadventurerinCostaguana,thedescendantofadventurersenlistedinaforeignlegion,ofmenwhohadsoughtfortuneinarevolutionarywar,whohadplannedrevolutions,whohadbelievedinrevolutions.Foralltheuprightnessofhischaracter,hehadsomethingofanadventurer’seasymoralitywhichtakescountofpersonalriskintheethicalappraisingofhisaction.Hewasprepared,ifneedbe,toblowupthewholeSanTomemountainskyhighoutoftheterritoryoftheRepublic.Thisresolutionexpressedthetenacityofhischaracter,theremorseofthatsubtleconjugalinfidelitythroughwhichhiswifewasnolongerthesolemistressofhisthoughts,somethingofhisfather’simaginativeweakness,andsomething,too,ofthespiritofabuccaneerthrowingalightedmatchintothemagazineratherthansurrenderhisship.

           DownbelowinthepatiothewoundedCargadorhadbreathedhislast.Thewomancriedoutonce,andhercry,unexpectedandshrill,madeallthewoundedsitup.Thepracticantescrambledtohisfeet,and,guitarinhand,gazedsteadilyinherdirectionwithelevatedeyebrows.Thetwogirls—sittingnowoneoneachsideoftheirwoundedrelative,withtheirkneesdrawnupandlongcigarsbetweentheirlips—noddedateachothersignificantly.