Ностромо

           Theveryprohibitionimposedthenecessityofsuccess.Itwasasiftheyhadbeenmorallyboundtomakegoodtheirvigorousviewoflifeagainsttheunnaturalerrorofwearinessanddespair.Iftheideaofwealthwaspresenttothemitwasonlyinsofarasitwasboundwiththatothersuccess.Mrs.Gould,anorphanfromearlychildhoodandwithoutfortune,broughtupinanatmosphereofintellectualinterests,hadneverconsideredtheaspectsofgreatwealth.Theyweretooremote,andshehadnotlearnedthattheyweredesirable.Ontheotherhand,shehadnotknownanythingofabsolutewant.Eventheverypovertyofheraunt,theMarchesa,hadnothingintolerabletoarefinedmind;itseemedinaccordwithagreatgrief:ithadtheausterityofasacrificeofferedtoanobleideal.ThuseventhemostlegitimatetouchofmaterialismwaswantinginMrs.Gould’scharacter.Thedeadmanofwhomshethoughtwithtenderness(becausehewasCharley’sfather)andwithsomeimpatience(becausehehadbeenweak),mustbeputcompletelyinthewrong.Nothingelsewoulddotokeeptheirprosperitywithoutastainonitsonlyreal,onitsimmaterialside!

           CharlesGould,onhispart,hadbeenobligedtokeeptheideaofwealthwelltothefore;buthebroughtitforwardasameans,notasanend.Unlesstheminewasgoodbusinessitcouldnotbetouched.Hehadtoinsistonthataspectoftheenterprise.Itwashislevertomovemenwhohadcapital.AndCharlesGouldbelievedinthemine.Hekneweverythingthatcouldbeknownofit.