Nostromo : A Tale of the Seaboard
and brotherhood instead of a more or less large share of booty.
"Poor old chap!" he said, after he had heard the doctor's account of Teresa. " He'll never be able to keep the place going by himself. I shall be sorry."
"He's quite alone up there," grunted Dr. Monygham, with a toss of his heavy head towards the narrow staircase. "Every living soul has cleared out, and Mrs. Gould took the girls away just now. It might not be oversafe for them out here, before very long. Of course, as a doctor I can do nothing more here, but she has asked me to stay with old Viola, and as I have no horse to get back to the mine, where I ought to be, I made no difficulty to stay. They can do without me in the town."
"I have a good mind to remain with you, doctor, till we see whether anything happens to-night at the harbor," declared the engineer-in-chief. "He must not be molested by Sotillo's soldiery, who may push on as far as this at once. Sotillo used to be very cord- ial to me at the Goulds' and at the club. How that man '11 ever dare to look any of his friends here in the face I can't imagine."
"He'll no doubt begin by shooting some of them, to get over the first awkwardness," said the doctor. "Nothing in this country serves better your military man who has changed sides than a few summary executions." He spoke with a gloomy positiveness that left no room for protest. The engineer-in-chief did not attempt any. He simply nodded several times, regretfully, then said:
"I think we shall be able to mount you in the morn-
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