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walking up the stairs as if in procession.
Don Juste, astonishingly changed by having shaved off
altogether his damaged beard, had lost with it ninetenths
of his outward dignity. Even at that time of serious pre-oc-
cupation Charles Gould could not help noting the revealed
ineptitude in the aspect of the man. His companions looked
crestfallen and sleepy. One kept on passing the tip of his
tongue over his parched lips; the other’s eyes strayed dully
over the tiled floor of the corredor, while Don Juste, stand-
ing a little in advance, harangued the Senor Administrador
of the San Tome mine. It was his firm opinion that forms
had to be observed. A new governor is always visited by
deputations from the Cabildo, which is the Municipal
Council, from the Consulado, the commercial Board, and it
was proper that the Provincial Assembly should send a dep-
utation, too, if only to assert the existence of parliamentary
institutions. Don Juste proposed that Don Carlos Gould, as
the most prominent citizen of the province, should join the
Assembly’s deputation. His position was exceptional, his
personality known through the length and breadth of the
whole Republic. Official courtesies must not be neglected, if
they are gone through with a bleeding heart. The acceptance
of accomplished facts may save yet the precious vestiges of
parliamentary institutions. Don Juste’s eyes glowed dully;
he believed in parliamentary institutions—and the con-
vinced drone of his voice lost itself in the stillness of the
house like the deep buzzing of some ponderous insect.
Charles Gould had turned round to listen patiently, lean-
ing his elbow on the balustrade. He shook his head a little,

10 Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard