Ностромо
Chapter 6
Thentheoldporterwouldhobblein,sweepingtheflagstones,andthehousewasreadyfortheday.Alltheloftyroomsonthreesidesofthequadrangleopenedintoeachotherandintothecorredor,withitswrought-ironrailingsandaborderofflowers,whence,liketheladyofthemediaevalcastle,shecouldwitnessfromaboveallthedeparturesandarrivalsoftheCasa,towhichthesonorousarchedgatewaylentanairofstatelyimportance.
Shehadwatchedhercarriagerollawaywiththethreeguestsfromthenorth.Shesmiled.Theirthreearmswentupsimultaneouslytotheirthreehats.CaptainMitchell,thefourth,inattendance,hadalreadybegunapompousdiscourse.Thenshelingered.Shelingered,approachingherfacetotheclustersofflowershereandthereasiftogivetimetoherthoughtstocatchupwithherslowfootstepsalongthestraightvistaofthecorredor.
AfringedIndianhammockfromAroa,gaywithcolouredfeatherwork,hadbeenswungjudiciouslyinacornerthatcaughttheearlysun;forthemorningsarecoolinSulaco.Theclusterofflordenochebuenablazedingreatmassesbeforetheopenglassdoorsofthereceptionrooms.Abiggreenparrot,brilliantlikeanemeraldinacagethatflashedlikegold,screamedoutferociously,“VivaCostaguana!”thencalledtwicemellifluously,“Leonarda!Leonarda!”inimitationofMrs.Gould’svoice,andsuddenlytookrefugeinimmobilityandsilence.Mrs.Gouldreachedtheendofthegalleryandputherheadthroughthedoorofherhusband’sroom.
