"Look, miserable shopkeeper! How can a man like me fail with any woman,
let alone an emancipated girl living in scandalous freedom?" he seemed
to say.
His manner in the Casa Gould was, of course, very different--devoid of
all truculence, and even slightly mournful. Like most of his countrymen,
he was carried away by the sound of fine words, especially if uttered
by himself. He had no convictions of any sort upon anything except as to
the irresistible power of his personal advantages. But that was so
firm that even Decoud's appearance in Sulaco, and his intimacy with
the Goulds and the Avellanos, did not disquiet him. On the contrary,
he tried to make friends with that rich Costaguanero from Europe in the
hope of borrowing a large sum by-and-by. The only guiding motive of
his life was to get money for the satisfaction of his expensive tastes,
which he indulged recklessly, having no self-control. He imagined
himself a master of intrigue, but his corruption was as simple as an
animal instinct. At times, in solitude, he had his moments of ferocity,
and also on such occasions as, for instance, when alone in a room with
Anzani trying to get a loan.
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