登陆注册
5215600000155

第155章

At once I could see he was another man. He stared at the wall, sir, as if there had been a spider or something running about there. The loss of the silver preyed on his mind. The first thing he asked me about was whether Dona Antonia had heard yet of Decoud's death. His voice trembled. I had to tell him that Dona Antonia, as a matter of fact, was not then back in town yet. Poor girl! And just as I was making ready to ask him a thousand questions, with a sudden, "Pardon me, senor ," he cleared out of the office altogether. I did not see him again for three days. I was terribly busy, you know. It seems that he wandered about in and out of the town, and on two nights turned up to sleep in the baracoons of the railway people.

He seemed absolutely indifferent to what went on. I asked him on the wharf, "When are you going to take hold again, Nostromo? There will be plenty of work for the cargadores presently."`" Senor ," says he, looking at me in a slow, inquisitive manner, "would it surprise you to hear that I am too tired to work just yet? And what work could I do now? How can I look my cargadores in the face after losing a lighter?"`I begged him not to think any more about the silver, and he smiled.

A smile that went to my heart, sir. "It was no mistake," I told him. "It was a fatality. A thing that could not be helped." " Si, si !" he said, and turned away. I thought it best to leave him alone for a bit to get over it. Sir, it took him years really, to get over it. I was present at his interview with Don Carlos. I must say that Gould is rather a cold man. He had to keep a tight hand on his feelings, dealing with thieves and rascals, in constant danger of ruin for himself and wife for so many years, that it had become a second nature. They looked at each other for a long time. Don Carlos asked what he could do for him, in his quiet, reserved way.

`"My name is known from one end of Sulaco to the other," he said, as quiet as the other. "What more can you do for me?" That was all that passed on that occasion. Later, however, there was a very fine coasting schooner for sale, and Mrs Gould and I put our heads together to get her bought and presented to him. It was done, but he paid all the price back within the next three years. Business was booming all along this seaboard, sir.

Moreover, that man always succeeded in everything except in saving the silver. Poor Dona Antonia, fresh from her terrible experience in the woods of Los Hatos, had an interview with him, too. Wanted to hear about Decoud:

what they said, what they did, what they thought up to the last on that fatal night. Mrs Gould told me his manner was perfect for quietness and sympathy. Miss Avellanos burst into tears only when he told her how Decoud had happened to say that his plan would be a glorious success. . . . And there's no doubt, sir, that it is. It is a success.'

The cycle was about to close at last. And while the privileged passenger, shivering with the pleasant anticipations of his berth, forgot to ask himself what on earth Decoud's plan could be, Captain Mitchell was saying, `Sorry we must part so soon. Your intelligent interest made this a pleasant day to me. I shall see you now on board. You had a glimpse of the "Treasure House of the World". A very good name that.' And the coxswain's voice at the door, announcing that the gig was ready, closed the cycle.

Nostromo had, indeed, found the lighter's boat, which he had left on the Great Isabel with Decoud, floating empty far out in the gulf. He was then on the bridge of the first of Barrios's transports, and within an hour's steaming from Sulaco. Barrios, always delighted with a feat of daring and a good judge of courage, had taken a great liking to the Capataz. During the passage round the coast the General kept Nostromo near his person, addressing him frequently in that abrupt and boisterous manner which was the sign of his high favour.

Nostromo's eyes were the first to catch, broad on the bow, the tiny, elusive dark speck, which, alone with the forms of the Three Isabels right ahead, appeared on the flat, shimmering emptiness of the gulf. There are times when no fact should be neglected as insignificant; a small boat so far from the land might have had some meaning worth finding out. At a nod of consent from Barrios the transport swept out of her course, passing near enough to ascertain that no one manned the little cockle-shell. It was merely a common small boat gone adrift with her oars in her. But Nostromo, to whose mind Decoud had been insistently present for days, had long before recognized with excitement the dinghy of the lighter.

There could be no question of stopping to pick up that thing. Every minute of time was momentous with the lives and futures of a whole town.

The head of the leading ship, with the General on board, fell off to her course. Behind her, the fleet of transports, scattered haphazard over a mile or so in the offing, like the finish of an ocean race, pressed on, all black and smoking on the western sky.

` Mi General ,' Nostromo's voice rang out loud, but quiet, from behind a group of officers, `I should like to save that little boat. Por Dios , I know her. She belongs to my Company.'

`And, por Dios ,' guffawed Barrios, in a noisy, good-humoured voice, `you belong to me. I am going to make you a captain of cavalry directly we get within sight of a horse again.'

`I can swim far better than I can ride, mi General ,' cried Nostromo, pushing through to the rail with a set stare in his eyes. `Let me--'

`Let you? What a conceited fellow that is,' bantered the General, jovially, without even looking at him. `Let him go! Ha! ha! ha! He wants me to admit that we cannot take Sulaco without him! Ha! ha! ha! Would you like to swim off of her, my son?'

A tremendous shout from one end of the ship to the other stopped his guffaw. Nostromo had leaped overboard; and his black head bobbed up far away already from the ship. The General muttered an appalled ` Cielo !

同类推荐
  • 少林真传伤科秘方

    少林真传伤科秘方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 定命录

    定命录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道法心传

    道法心传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海内十洲记

    海内十洲记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Round the Sofa

    Round the Sofa

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers

    The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 花之小镇

    花之小镇

    一切,都要从洛南国送她的那块怀表说起。谁会相信呢?一块平淡无奇的怀表,居然会在花满的手中开出花来。它不单开花了,还让花满陷入昏迷的奶奶短暂地清醒了一小会儿。对世界充满了好奇心的花满,为了弄清楚奶奶的病因,启程前往神秘的花之小镇求奇药,她原以为自己的求药之旅会几经波折,没想到运气爆棚,刚到镇上就好运气地“捡”到了药铺老板的女儿!只不过,这个叫麦卷耳的女孩儿实在倒霉地惊世骇俗,跟她黏在一起,连花满也被不幸牵连,所幸有洛南国寸步不离地保护,才让她能够将困难一一摆平。看来,想要让麦卷耳帮忙治疗奶奶的病,必须先祛除她身上的霉运才行……
  • 走过人生峰与谷:祸福相依的人生哲学

    走过人生峰与谷:祸福相依的人生哲学

    《走过人生峰与谷:祸福相依的人生哲学》内容简介:每个人都会遭遇高峰和低谷,这是人生的常态,生活的快乐,交织于人生的波折起伏变化之中,而不是一成不变,一成不变的生活会让人厌倦,而峰与谷的交错,让我们的生活变得多姿多彩。
  • 侯府庶女之逍遥公子

    侯府庶女之逍遥公子

    京都俊安候生有九女,前八女要么送进宫中嫁为帝妃,要么配与王孙贵族,又或是嫁入商贾之家。待与这第九女定亲时,只见这九女大手一挥,“这就是尚书府的小公子?府中已有侍妾,不要。”“这就是那什么世家传人?年纪轻轻就有了几个通房?退了。”“这就是那什么王爷?本小姐不嫁皇家子弟,不嫁。”俊安候九小姐三番退了亲,惹得侯爷大义灭亲将其赶出侯府,本以为这侯府九小姐会哭哭啼啼的反省错误,哪知这九小姐笑嘻嘻的连包袱都不拿的走出了侯府。自此,京都再无这九小姐的消息。而在这同时,京都出现了一个俊美潇洒的公子哥,人称逍遥公子。.............ps:网页更新不及时请查看原网址............
  • 异世重生:邪帝的宠妃

    异世重生:邪帝的宠妃

    她是来自异时空失忆的一缕幽魂,误打误撞的闯入了这乱世硝烟;他是世人眼里嗜血成性的年轻帝王,只愿在她面前卸下伪装。一奴一帝,本是永不相交的两条平行线,但命运的齿轮,却让他们生生世世纠缠在了一起。“青颜,我这辈子背负了太多仇恨,所有人都可以成为我的敌人,而你,绝对不行。”……
  • 斗战神之绝世三仙妖(三)

    斗战神之绝世三仙妖(三)

    看到这些淳朴的村民,只因为自己这一点小小的恩惠,就把自己当成再生父母、救命恩人一样崇拜,羊力大仙心里忽然觉得有些不是滋味。春风化雨在中原之人眼里,出得塞外,便尽是苦寒之地。只是,这些享尽中原锦绣繁华的唐人并不知道,出塞之后,入北疆、近天山南麓,在这样离长安有八干九百多里之遥的地方,还有一处极度繁华的绿洲之国。此国名车迟,处在塞外少见的一处绿洲盆地,水草丰美,国泰民安。又因车迟国的位置恰好处在大唐丝路的咽喉要道,那些南来北往、不绝如缕的商旅们给国家带来无尽的钱粮物资,使得这车迟国盛世繁华,冠绝今古。
  • 深蓝的味道

    深蓝的味道

    深蓝色是澄澈而又明静的,是她处在黑暗中向往阳光的味道,包裹着亲情,友情,爱情。
  • 妾非良妻

    妾非良妻

    前一世,她为了一个男人,斗皇后,助贤臣,拉谋士,最后他却害死了她的家人,好友,以及自己最珍爱的知己。她饮尽毒酒,发誓若有来世,绝不入宫为妃,绝不助帝家之人!哪知最后人算不如天算,她还是被卷入了漩涡之中,借着自己的聪慧,与视她如命的男人一起携手共创繁华!
  • 论茯苓花白与不白

    论茯苓花白与不白

    吊儿郎当的茯苓因破坏了阵法,被天帝丢下凡间完成使命穿成上官家大小姐的她,只想问:我是谁?我在哪儿?我要干嘛?屁事都不知道的她,只想每日吃喝玩乐,做那逍遥自在的纨绔子弟,可全世界似乎都不想她安生呢,非逼着她使出绝技嘛!茯苓瞬间换上张苦瓜脸,故作柔弱地哽咽道,“爹爹不要重罚二妹妹,说不定她只是一时糊涂,女儿没事的,求爹爹对二妹妹从轻发落呜呜呜。”茯苓哭得伤心,声音还抽吧抽吧的上官老爷:……他好像并没有要罚人的意思吧上官烟柔:……心口莫名堵得慌茯苓自诩的精湛演技被某人尽收眼底,“小把戏,无聊。”站在一旁的侍卫:……您偷窥了一个晚上好像也是有点……不敢想不敢想
  • 星际之甜药

    星际之甜药

    被称为才女的女中医董甜甜掉进下水井里淹死,意外重生到星际时代,成为联邦一个二流家族的大小姐。的确是大小姐,只不过她穿过来的时候,老爸,大哥遇到虫族袭击,一起失踪,二哥,老妈被叔叔“意外”,一个成了植物人,一个成了残废。于是董甜甜悲催了!无奈走上了赚钱养家的道路。--情节虚构,请勿模仿