Ностромо
Chapter 3
Sotillodidnotdespisehimforthat.Thecolonel’swantofmoralsensewasofaprofoundandinnocentcharacter.Itbordereduponstupidity,moralstupidity.Nothingthatservedhisendscouldappeartohimreallyreprehensible.Nevertheless,hedespisedDr.Monygham.Hehadforhimanimmenseandsatisfactorycontempt.Hedespisedhimwithallhisheartbecausehedidnotmeantoletthedoctorhaveanyrewardatall.Hedespisedhim,notasamanwithoutfaithandhonour,butasafool.Dr.Monygham’sinsightintohischaracterhaddeceivedSotillocompletely.Thereforehethoughtthedoctorafool.
SincehisarrivalinSulacothecolonel’sideashadundergonesomemodification.
HenolongerwishedforapoliticalcareerinMontero’sadministration.Hehadalwaysdoubtedthesafetyofthatcourse.SincehehadlearnedfromthechiefengineerthatatdaylightmostlikelyhewouldbeconfrontedbyPedroMonterohismisgivingsonthatpointhadconsiderablyincreased.Theguerrillerobrotherofthegeneral—thePedritoofpopularspeech—hadareputationofhisown.Hewasn’tsafetodealwith.Sotillohadvaguelyplannedseizingnotonlythetreasurebutthetownitself,andthennegotiatingatleisure.Butinthefaceoffactslearnedfromthechiefengineer(whohadfranklydisclosedtohimthewholesituation)hisaudacity,neverofaverydashingkind,hadbeenreplacedbyamostcautioushesitation.