Joseph Conrad: Nostromo

PART SECOND: THE ISABELS 5. CHAPTER FIVE (continued)

The Senor Administrador of the San Tome mine bent over his wife
for a moment. They exchanged a few words, of which only the
phrase, "The greatest enthusiasm," pronounced by Mrs. Gould,
could be heard.

"Yes," Decoud began in a murmur. "Even he!"

"This is sheer calumny," said Antonia, not very severely.

"You just ask him to throw his mine into the melting-pot for the
great cause," Decoud whispered.

Don Jose had raised his voice. He rubbed his hands cheerily. The
excellent aspect of the troops and the great quantity of new
deadly rifles on the shoulders of those brave men seemed to fill
him with an ecstatic confidence.

Charles Gould, very tall and thin before his chair, listened, but
nothing could be discovered in his face except a kind and
deferential attention.

Meantime, Antonia had risen, and, crossing the room, stood
looking out of one of the three long windows giving on the
street. Decoud followed her. The window was thrown open, and he
leaned against the thickness of the wall. The long folds of the
damask curtain, falling straight from the broad brass cornice,
hid him partly from the room. He folded his arms on his breast,
and looked steadily at Antonia's profile.