This is a highly cloaked dialogue, but it seems to mean, "Even Charles Gould, who has done so much for Costaguana, cares nothing for the nation, but swears allegiance only to his own subjective dream-ideal." Antonia upbraids him for impugning Charles Gould's patriotism (in precisely the opposite way, interestingly, that Emily heard it impugned in Part One ). Decoud insists -- correctly -- that Charles Gould's first and only loyalty is to his mine.