Ностромо
Chapter 6
Hedidnotliketea;and,usually,rockinghisAmericanchair,hisneatlittleshinybootscrossedonthefoot-rest,hewouldtalkonandonwithasortofcomplacentvirtuositywonderfulinamanofhisage,whileheheldthecupinhishandsforalongtime.Hisclose-croppedheadwasperfectlywhite;hiseyescoalblack.
OnseeingCharlesGouldstepintothesalahewouldnodprovisionallyandgoontotheendoftheoratorialperiod.Onlythenhewouldsay—
“Carlos,myfriend,youhaveriddenfromSanTomeintheheatoftheday.AlwaysthetrueEnglishactivity.No?What?”
Hedrankupalltheteaatonceinonedraught.Thisperformancewasinvariablyfollowedbyaslightshudderandalow,involuntary“br-r-r-r,”whichwasnotcoveredbythehastyexclamation,“Excellent!”
Thengivinguptheemptycupintohisyoungfriend’shand,extendedwithasmile,hecontinuedtoexpatiateuponthepatrioticnatureoftheSanTomemineforthesimplepleasureoftalkingfluently,itseemed,whilehisrecliningbodyjerkedbackwardsandforwardsinarocking-chairofthesortexportedfromtheUnitedStates.Theceilingofthelargestdrawing-roomoftheCasaGouldextendeditswhitelevelfarabovehishead.Theloftinessdwarfedthemixtureofheavy,straight-backedSpanishchairsofbrownwoodwithleathernseats,andEuropeanfurniture,low,andcushionedallover,likesquatlittlemonstersgorgedtoburstingwithsteelspringsandhorsehair.
