Ностромо

           Hewasold,ugly,learned—andalittle“loco”—mad,ifnotabitofasorcerer,asthecommonpeoplesuspectedhimofbeing.ThelittlewhitejacketwasinrealityaconcessiontoMrs.Gould’shumanizinginfluence.Thedoctor,withhishabitofsceptical,bitterspeech,hadnoothermeansofshowinghisprofoundrespectforthecharacterofthewomanwhowasknowninthecountryastheEnglishSenora.Hepresentedthistributeveryseriouslyindeed;itwasnotrifleforamanofhishabits.Mrs.Gouldfeltthat,too,perfectly.Shewouldneverhavethoughtofimposinguponhimthismarkedshowofdeference.

           ShekeptheroldSpanishhouse(oneofthefinestspecimensinSulaco)openforthedispensationofthesmallgracesofexistence.Shedispensedthemwithsimplicityandcharmbecauseshewasguidedbyanalertperceptionofvalues.Shewashighlygiftedintheartofhumanintercoursewhichconsistsindelicateshadesofself-forgetfulnessandinthesuggestionofuniversalcomprehension.CharlesGould(theGouldfamily,establishedinCostaguanaforthreegenerations,alwayswenttoEnglandfortheireducationandfortheirwives)imaginedthathehadfalleninlovewithagirl’ssoundcommonsenselikeanyotherman,butthesewerenotexactlythereasonswhy,forinstance,thewholesurveyingcamp,fromtheyoungestoftheyoungmentotheirmaturechief,shouldhavefoundoccasiontoalludetoMrs.Gould’shousesofrequentlyamongstthehighpeaksoftheSierra.