l against the leg of a rider with a long iron
spur strapped to the naked heel. The two girls were gone, and Nostromo,
standing in the middle of the room, looked at him from under the round
brim of the sombrero low down over his brow.

"I have brought that sour-faced English doctor in Senora Gould's
carriage," said Nostromo. "I doubt if, with all his wisdom, he can
save the Padrona this time. They have sent for the children. A bad sign
that."

He sat down on the end of a bench. "She wants to give them her blessing,
I suppose."

Dazedly Decoud observed that he must have fallen sound asleep, and
Nostromo said, with a vague smile, that he had looked in at the window
and had seen him lying still across the table with his head on his arms.
The English senora had also come in the carriage, and went upstairs at
once with the doctor. She had told him not to wake up Don Martin yet;
but when they sent for the children he had come into the cafe.

The half of the horse with its half of the rider swung round outside the
door; the torch of tow and resin in the iron basket which was carried on
a stick at the saddle-bow flared right into the room for a moment, and
Mrs. Gould entered hastily with a very white, tired face. The hood of
her dark, blue cloak had fallen back. Both men rose.

"Teresa wants to see you, Nostromo," she said. The Capataz did not move.
Decoud, with his back to the table, began to button up his coat.

"The silver, Mrs. Gould, the silver," he murmured in English. "Don't
forget that the Esmeralda garrison have got a steamer. They may appear
at any moment at the harbour entrance."

"The doctor says there is no hope," Mrs. Gould spoke rapidly, also in
English. "I shall take you down to the wharf in my carriage and then
come back to fetch away the girls." She changed swiftly into Spanish to
address Nostromo. "Why are you wasting time? Old Giorgio's wife wishes
to see you."

"I am going to her, senora," muttered the Capataz. Dr. Monygham now
showed himself, bringing back the children. To Mrs. Gould's inquiring
glance he only shook his head and went outside at once, followed by
Nostromo.

The horse of the torch-bearer, motionless, hung his head low, and the
rider had dropped the reins to light a cigarette. The glare of the torch
played on the front of the house crossed by the big black letters of its
inscription in which only the word _Italia_ was lighted fully. The patch
of wavering glare reached as far as Mrs.