Ностромо
Chapter 3
“Yes,thatisexactlywhatIdidsay,”heutteredatlast,inatonewhichwouldhavemadeitclearenoughtoathirdpartythatthepausewasnotofareluctantbutofareflectivecharacter.CaptainMitchellthoughtthathehadneverheardanythingsobrazenlyimpudentinhislife.
“Well,well!”hemutteredtohimself,buthehadnotthehearttovoicehisthoughts.Theyweresweptawaybyothersfullofastonishmentandregret.Aheavysenseofdiscomfiturecrushedhim:thelossofthesilver,thedeathofNostromo,whichwasreallyquiteablowtohissensibilities,becausehehadbecomeattachedtohisCapatazaspeoplegetattachedtotheirinferiorsfromloveofeaseandalmostunconsciousgratitude.AndwhenhethoughtofDecoudbeingdrowned,too,hissensibilitywasalmostovercomebythismiserableend.Whataheavyblowforthatpooryoungwoman!CaptainMitchelldidnotbelongtothespeciesofcrabbedoldbachelors;onthecontrary,helikedtoseeyoungmenpayingattentionstoyoungwomen.Itseemedtohimanaturalandproperthing.Properespecially.Astosailors,itwasdifferent;itwasnottheirplacetomarry,hemaintained,butitwasonmoralgroundsasamatterofself-denial,for,heexplained,lifeonboardshipisnotfitforawomanevenatbest,andifyouleaveheronshore,firstofallitisnotfair,andnextsheeithersuffersfromitordoesn’tcareabit,which,inbothcases,isbad.