Ностромо
Chapter 1
Vagueplansofanotherhistoricalwork,whereinallthedevotionstotheregenerationofthecountryhelovedwouldbeenshrinedforthereverentworshipofposterity,flittedthroughhismind.ThehistorianwhohadenoughelevationofsoultowriteofGuzmanBento:“Yetthismonster,imbruedinthebloodofhiscountrymen,mustnotbeheldunreservedlytotheexecrationoffutureyears.Itappearstobetruethathe,too,lovedhiscountry.Hehadgivenittwelveyearsofpeace;and,absolutemasteroflivesandfortunesashewas,hediedpoor.Hisworstfault,perhaps,wasnothisferocity,buthisignorance;”themanwhocouldwritethusofacruelpersecutor(thepassageoccursinhis“HistoryofMisrule”)feltattheforeshadowingofsuccessanalmostboundlessaffectionforhistwohelpers,forthesetwoyoungpeoplefromoverthesea.
Justasyearsago,calmly,fromtheconvictionofpracticalnecessity,strongerthananyabstractpoliticaldoctrine,HenryGouldhaddrawnthesword,sonow,thetimesbeingchanged,CharlesGouldhadflungthesilveroftheSanTomeintothefray.TheInglezofSulaco,the“CostaguanaEnglishman”ofthethirdgeneration,wasasfarfrombeingapoliticalintriguerashisunclefromarevolutionaryswashbuckler.Springingfromtheinstinctiveuprightnessoftheirnaturestheiractionwasreasoned.Theysawanopportunityandusedtheweapontohand.