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           AndPedritointendedtobeMinisteroftheInteriorandPresidentoftheCouncilinhisbrother’sGovernment.TheDucdeMornyhadoccupiedthosehighpostsduringtheSecondFrenchEmpirewithconspicuousadvantagetohimself.

           Atable,achair,awoodenbedsteadhadbeenprocuredforHisExcellency,who,afterashortsiesta,renderedabsolutelynecessarybythelaboursandthepompsofhisentryintoSulaco,hadbeengettingholdoftheadministrativemachinebymakingappointments,givingorders,andsigningproclamations.AlonewithCharlesGouldintheaudienceroom,HisExcellencymanagedwithhiswell-knownskilltoconcealhisannoyanceandconsternation.Hehadbegunatfirsttotalkloftilyofconfiscation,butthewantofallproperfeelingandmobilityintheSenorAdministrador’sfeaturesendedbyaffectingadverselyhispowerofmasterfulexpression.CharlesGouldhadrepeated:“TheGovernmentcancertainlybringaboutthedestructionoftheSanTomemineifitlikes;butwithoutmeitcandonothingelse.”Itwasanalarmingpronouncement,andwellcalculatedtohurtthesensibilitiesofapoliticianwhosemindisbentuponthespoilsofvictory.AndCharlesGouldsaidalsothatthedestructionoftheSanTomeminewouldcausetheruinofotherundertakings,thewithdrawalofEuropeancapital,thewithholding,mostprobably,ofthelastinstalmentoftheforeignloan.Thatstonyfiendofamansaidallthesethings(whichwereaccessibletoHisExcellency’sintelligence)inacoldbloodedmannerwhichmadeoneshudder.