Ностромо
Chapter 6
HiswaywouldliealongtheoldSpanishroad—theCaminoRealofpopularspeech—theonlyremainingvestigeofafactandnameleftbythatroyaltyoldGiorgioViolahated,andwhoseveryshadowhaddepartedfromtheland;forthebigequestrianstatueofCharlesIVattheentranceoftheAlameda,toweringwhiteagainstthetrees,wasonlyknowntothefolkfromthecountryandtothebeggarsofthetownthatsleptonthestepsaroundthepedestal,astheHorseofStone.TheotherCarlos,turningofftotheleftwitharapidclatterofhoofsonthedisjointedpavement—DonCarlosGould,inhisEnglishclothes,lookedasincongruous,butmuchmoreathomethanthekinglycavalierreininginhissteedonthepedestalabovethesleepingleperos,withhismarblearmraisedtowardsthemarblerimofaplumedhat.
Theweather-stainedeffigyofthemountedking,withitsvaguesuggestionofasalutinggesture,seemedtopresentaninscrutablebreasttothepoliticalchangeswhichhadrobbeditofitsveryname;butneitherdidtheotherhorseman,wellknowntothepeople,keenandaliveonhiswell-shaped,slate-colouredbeastwithawhiteeye,wearhisheartonthesleeveofhisEnglishcoat.HismindpreserveditssteadypoiseasifshelteredinthepassionlessstabilityofprivateandpublicdecenciesathomeinEurope.
