Page 393 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

‘Ah! senor doctor,’ said Sotillo, wagging his head, ‘you
are a man of quick intelligence. We were made to under-
stand each other.’ He turned away. He could bear no longer
that expressionless and motionless stare, which seemed to
have a sort of impenetrable emptiness like the black depth
of an abyss.
Even in a man utterly devoid of moral sense there remains
an appreciation of rascality which, being conventional, is
perfectly clear. Sotillo thought that Dr. Monygham, so dif-
ferent from all Europeans, was ready to sell his countrymen
and Charles Gould, his employer, for some share of the
San Tome silver. Sotillo did not despise him for that. The
colonel’s want of moral sense was of a profound and inno-
cent character. It bordered upon stupidity, moral stupidity.
Nothing that served his ends could appear to him really
reprehensible. Nevertheless, he despised Dr. Monygham.
He had for him an immense and satisfactory contempt. He
despised him with all his heart because he did not mean
to let the doctor have any reward at all. He despised him,
not as a man without faith and honour, but as a fool. Dr.
Monygham’s insight into his character had deceived Sotillo
completely. Therefore he thought the doctor a fool.
Since his arrival in Sulaco the colonel’s ideas had under-
gone some modification.
He no longer wished for a political career in Montero’s
administration. He had always doubted the safety of that
course. Since he had learned from the chief engineer that
at daylight most likely he would be confronted by Pedro
Montero his misgivings on that point had considerably in-

Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard