Explore "Romance" by Joseph Conrad on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The entrance to the common prison of Havana was a sort of lofty tunnel, finished by great, iron-rusted, wooden gates. A civil guard was exhibiting the judge's warrant for my committal to a white-haired man, with a red face and blue eyes, that seemed to look through tumbled bushes of silver eyebrows -- the alcayde of the prison. He bowed, and rattled two farcically large keys. A practicable postern was ajar on the yellow wood of the studded gates. It was as if it afforded a glimpse of the other side of the world. The venerable turnkey, a gnome in a steeple-crowned hat, protruded a bloodred hand backwards in the direction of the postern.
"Señor Caballero," he croaked, "I pray you to consider this house your own. My servants are yours."