Page 200 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

ciple is old.’
He ruminated his discontent for a while, then began
afresh with a sidelong glance at Antonia—
‘No, but just imagine our forefathers in morions and
corselets drawn up outside this gate, and a band of adven-
turers just landed from their ships in the harbour there.
Thieves, of course. Speculators, too. Their expeditions, each
one, were the speculations of grave and reverend persons
in England. That is history, as that absurd sailor Mitchell is
always saying.’
‘Mitchell’s arrangements for the embarkation of the
troops were excellent!’ exclaimed Don Jose.
‘That!—that! oh, that’s really the work of that Genoese
seaman! But to return to my noises; there used to be in the
old days the sound of trumpets outside that gate. War trum-
pets! I’m sure they were trumpets. I have read somewhere
that Drake, who was the greatest of these men, used to dine
alone in his cabin on board ship to the sound of trumpets.
In those days this town was full of wealth. Those men came
to take it. Now the whole land is like a treasure-house, and
all these people are breaking into it, whilst we are cutting
each other’s throats. The only thing that keeps them out is
mutual jealousy. But they’ll come to an agreement some
day—and by the time we’ve settled our quarrels and be-
come decent and honourable, there’ll be nothing left for us.
It has always been the same. We are a wonderful people, but
it has always been our fate to be’—he did not say ‘robbed,’
but added, after a pause—‘exploited!’
Mrs. Gould said, ‘Oh, this is unjust!’ And Antonia inter-

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