Ностромо
Chapter 6
Andatonceherdelightinhim,lingeringwithhalf-openwingslikethosebirdsthatcannotriseeasilyfromaflatlevel,foundapinnaclefromwhichtosoarupintotheskies.
TheyhadbecomeacquaintedinItaly,wherethefutureMrs.Gouldwasstayingwithanoldandpaleauntwho,yearsbefore,hadmarriedamiddle-aged,impoverishedItalianmarquis.Shenowmournedthatman,whohadknownhowtogiveuphislifetotheindependenceandunityofhiscountry,whohadknownhowtobeasenthusiasticinhisgenerosityastheyoungestofthosewhofellforthatverycauseofwhicholdGiorgioViolawasadriftingrelic,asabrokensparissufferedtofloatawaydisregardedafteranavalvictory.TheMarchesaledastill,whisperingexistence,nun-likeinherblackrobesandawhitebandovertheforehead,inacornerofthefirstfloorofanancientandruinouspalace,whosebig,emptyhallsdownstairsshelteredundertheirpaintedceilingstheharvests,thefowls,andeventhecattle,togetherwiththewholefamilyofthetenantfarmer.
ThetwoyoungpeoplehadmetinLucca.AfterthatmeetingCharlesGouldvisitednomines,thoughtheywenttogetherinacarriage,once,toseesomemarblequarries,wheretheworkresembledmininginsofarthatitalsowasthetearingoftherawmaterialoftreasurefromtheearth.CharlesGoulddidnotopenhishearttoherinanysetspeeches.Hesimplywentonactingandthinkinginhersight.Thisisthetruemethodofsincerity.
