Ностромо
Chapter 6
DonJoseAvellanos,theirneighbouracrossthestreet,astatesman,apoet,amanofculture,whohadrepresentedhiscountryatseveralEuropeanCourts(andhadsuffereduntoldindignitiesasastateprisonerinthetimeofthetyrantGuzmanBento),usedtodeclareinDonaEmilia’sdrawing-roomthatCarloshadalltheEnglishqualitiesofcharacterwithatrulypatrioticheart.
Mrs.Gould,raisinghereyestoherhusband’sthin,redandtanface,couldnotdetecttheslightestquiverofafeatureatwhathemusthaveheardsaidofhispatriotism.Perhapshehadjustdismountedonhisreturnfromthemine;hewasEnglishenoughtodisregardthehottesthoursoftheday.Basilio,inaliveryofwhitelinenandaredsash,hadsquattedforamomentbehindhisheelstounstraptheheavy,bluntspursinthepatio;andthentheSenorAdministratorwouldgoupthestaircaseintothegallery.Rowsofplantsinpots,rangedonthebalustradebetweenthepilastersofthearches,screenedthecorredorwiththeirleavesandflowersfromthequadranglebelow,whosepavedspaceisthetruehearthstoneofaSouthAmericanhouse,wherethequiethoursofdomesticlifearemarkedbytheshiftingoflightandshadowontheflagstones.
SenorAvellanoswasinthehabitofcrossingthepatioatfiveo’clockalmosteveryday.DonJosechosetocomeoverattea-timebecausetheEnglishriteatDonaEmilia’shouseremindedhimofthetimehelivedinLondonasMinisterPlenipotentiarytotheCourtofSt.James.
