Page 456 - nostromo-a-tale-of-the-seaboard

on the table.
‘You will have to take action.’
The silence of Charles Gould seemed to admit that this
was the only course. This was as far as Charles Gould was
accustomed to go towards expressing his intentions.
‘I hope you did not warn Montero of what you mean to
do,’ the doctor said, anxiously.
‘I tried to make him see that the existence of the mine
was bound up with my personal safety,’ continued Charles
Gould, looking away from the doctor, and fixing his eyes
upon the water-colour sketch upon the wall.
‘He believed you?’ the doctor asked, eagerly.
‘God knows!’ said Charles Gould. ‘I owed it to my wife to
say that much. He is well enough informed. He knows that
I have Don Pepe there. Fuentes must have told him. They
know that the old major is perfectly capable of blowing up
the San Tome mine without hesitation or compunction.
Had it not been for that I don’t think I’d have left the In-
tendencia a free man. He would blow everything up from
loyalty and from hate—from hate of these Liberals, as they
call themselves. Liberals! The words one knows so well have
a nightmarish meaning in this country. Liberty, democracy,
patriotism, government—all of them have a flavour of folly
and murder. Haven’t they, doctor? … I alone can restrain
Don Pepe. If they were to—to do away with me, nothing
could prevent him.’
‘They will try to tamper with him,’ the doctor suggested,
thoughtfully.
‘It is very possible,’ Charles Gould said very low, as if