The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: command."
We walked into the shade of the Harbour Office and leaned our
elbows on the parapet of the quay.
"She was really meant to comfort poor Davidson," continued Hollis.
"Can you fancy anything more naively touching than this old
mandarin spending several thousand pounds to console his white man?
Well, there she is. The old mandarin's sons have inherited her,
and Davidson with her; and he commands her; and what with his
salary and trading privileges he makes a lot of money; and
everything is as before; and Davidson even smiles - you have seen
it? Well, the smile's the only thing which isn't as before."
 Within the Tides |