Joseph Conrad: Nostromo

PART THIRD: THE LIGHTHOUSE 2. CHAPTER TWO (continued)

He became so interested that for an instant he forgot his
precious prisoner. There is always something childish in the
rapacity of the passionate, clear-minded, Southern races, wanting
in the misty idealism of the Northerners, who at the smallest
encouragement dream of nothing less than the conquest of the
earth. Sotillo was fond of jewels, gold trinkets, of personal
adornment. After a moment he turned about, and with a commanding
gesture made all his officers fall back. He laid down the watch
on the table, then, negligently, pushed his hat over it.

"Ha!" he began, going up very close to the chair. "You dare call
my valiant soldiers of the Esmeralda regiment, thieves. You dare!
What impudence! You foreigners come here to rob our country of
its wealth. You never have enough! Your audacity knows no
bounds."

He looked towards the officers, amongst whom there was an
approving murmur. The older major was moved to declare--

"Si, mi colonel. They are all traitors."

"I shall say nothing," continued Sotillo, fixing the motionless
and powerless Mitchell with an angry but uneasy stare. "I shall
say nothing of your treacherous attempt to get possession of my
revolver to shoot me while I was trying to treat you with
consideration you did not deserve. You have forfeited your life.
Your only hope is in my clemency."

He watched for the effect of his words, but there was no obvious
sign of fear on Captain Mitchell's face. His white hair was full
of dust, which covered also the rest of his helpless person. As
if he had heard nothing, he twitched an eyebrow to get rid of a
bit of straw which hung amongst the hairs.

Sotillo advanced one leg and put his arms akimbo. "It is you,
Mitchell," he said, emphatically, "who are the thief, not my
soldiers!" He pointed at his prisoner a forefinger with a long,
almond-shaped nail. "Where is the silver of the San Tome mine? I
ask you, Mitchell, where is the silver that was deposited in this
Custom House? Answer me that! You stole it. You were a party to
stealing it. It was stolen from the Government. Aha! you think I
do not know what I say; but I am up to your foreign tricks. It is
gone, the silver! No? Gone in one of your lanchas, you miserable
man! How dared you?"