The biography of Barrios is oddly non-layered for Conrad: Barrios is presented
is a simple soul, close to nature and life's pleasures, devoid of higher ambition.
However, gold symbolizes rulership, so there is possibly something symbolic in
Barrios' handing over his gold-hilted sword (symbolizing military rule?) to a
"shopkeeper" (symbolizing material interests?), the latter of whom seems
somewhat terrified by the transfer of power. The image is repeated in the next
paragraph, where another gold item is given to a "tradesman."