The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗

my

station. There had I to beat the hoof so long, that I began to

suspect our forward sprig of royalty had gone another way, or

else had changed his mind about Catalina; just as if princes ever

began to be fickle, till the goad of novelty and curiosity began

to be blunted. In short, I thought they had forgotten me, when

two men came up. Finding them to be my party, I led the way to my

carriage, into which they both got, and I upon the coach-box to

direct the driver, whom I stopped fifty yards from the house,

whither we walked. The door opened at our approach, and shut

again as soon as we got in.

 

At first we were in absolute darkness, as on my former visit,

though a small lamp was fixed to the wall on the present

occasion. But the light which it shed was so faint, as only to

render itself visible without assisting us. All this served only

to heighten the romance in the fancy of its hero, fixed as he was

in steadfast gaze at the sight of the ladies as they received him

in a saloon whose brilliant illumination was more dazzling, when

contrasted with the gloom of the avenue. The aunt and niece were

in a tempting undress, where the science of coquetry was

displayed in all its luxury and absolute sway. Our prince could

have been happy with Signora Mencia, had the dear charmer

Catalina been away; but as there was a choice, the younger,

according to the rules of precedency in the court of Cupid, had

the preference.

 

Well! prince, said the Count de Lemos, could you have desired a

better specimen of beauty? They are both enchanting, answered the

prince, and my heart may as well surrender at once; for the aunt

would arrest it in its flight, if it attempted to sound a retreat

from the niece’s all-subduing charms.

 

After such compliments, as do not fall by wholesale to the share

of aunts, he addressed his choicest terms of flattery to

Catalina, who answered him in kind. As convenient personages of

my stamp are allowed to mingle in the conversation of lovers, for

the purpose of making fire hotter, I introduced the subject of

singing and playing on the lute. This was the signal of fresh

rapture! and the nymph, the muse, the anything but mortal, was

supplicated to outtune the jingle of the spheres. She complied

like a good-humoured goddess; played some tender airs, and sung

so deliciously, that the prince flopped down on his knees in a

tumult of love and pleasure. But scenes like these are vapid in

description: suffice it to say that hours glided away like

moments in this sweet delirium, till the approach of day warned

the sober plotters of the lunacy to provide for their patient’s

safety, and their own. When the parties were all snugly housed,

we gave ourselves as much credit for the negotiation as if we had

patched up a marriage with a princess.

 

The next morning the Duke of Lerma desired to know all the

particulars. Just as I had finished relating them, the Count de

Lemos came in and said — The Prince of Spain is so engrossed by

Catalina; he has taken so decided a fancy to her, that he

actually proposes to be constant. He wanted to have sent her

jewels to the amount of two thousand pistoles to-day, but his

finances wee aground. My dear Lemos, said he, addressing himself

to me, you must absolutely get me that sum. I know it is very

inconvenient; you have pawned your credit for me already, but my

heart owns itself your debtor; and if ever I have the means of

returning your kindness by more than empty words, your fortunes

shall not suffer by your complaisance. In answer, I assured him

that I had friends and credit, and promised to bring him what he

wanted.

 

There is no difficulty about that, said the duke to his nephew.

Santillane will bring you the money; or, to save trouble, he may

purchase the jewels, for he is an admirable judge, especially of

rubies. Are you not, Gil Blas? This stroke of satire was of

course designed to entertain the count at my expense, and it was

successful, for his curiosity could not but be excited to know

the meaning of the mystery. No mystery at all, replied his uncle

with a broad laugh. Only Santillane took it into his head one day

to exchange a diamond for a ruby, and the barter operated equally

to the advantage of his pocket and his penetration.

 

Had the minister stopped there, I should have come off cheaply;

but he took the trouble of dressing out in aggravated colours the

trick that Camilla and Don Raphael played me, with a most

provoking enlargement of the circumstances most to the

disadvantage of my sagacity. His excellency having enjoyed his

joke, ordered me to attend the Count de Lemos to a jeweller’s,

where we selected trinkets for the Prince of Spain’s inspection,

and they were intrusted to my care to be delivered to Catalina.

 

There can be little doubt of my kind reception on the following

night, when I displayed a fine pair of drop ear-rings, as the

presents of my embassy. The two ladies, out of their wits at

these costly tokens of the prince’s love, suffered their tongues

to run into a gossiping strain, while they were thanking me for

introducing them into such worshipful society. In the excess of

their joy, they forgot themselves a little. There escaped now and

then certain peculiar idioms of speech, which made me suspect

that the party in question was no such dainty morsel for royalty

to feed upon. To ascertain precisely what degree of obligation I

had conferred on the heir-apparent, I took my leave with the

intention of coining to a right understanding with Scipio.

 

CH. XII. — Catalina’s real condition a worry and alarm to Gil

Blas. His precautions for his own ease and quiet.

 

ON coming home, I heard a devil of a noise, and inquired what was

the meaning of it. They told me that Scipio was giving a supper

to half-a-dozen of his friends. They were singing as loud as

their kings could roar, and threatening the stability of the

house with their protracted peals of laughter. This meal was not

in all respects the banquet of the seven wise men.

 

The founder of the feast, informed of my arrival, said to his

company: Sit still, gentlemen, it is only the master of the house

come home, but that need not disturb you. Go on with your merry-making; I will but just whisper a word in his ear, and be back

again in a moment. He came to me accordingly. What an infernal

din! said I. What sort of company do you keep below? Have you,

too, got in among the poets? Thank you for nothing! answered he.

Your wine is too good to be given to such gentry; I turn it to

better account. There is a young man of large property in my

party, who wishes to lay out your credit and his own money in the

purchase of a place. This little festivity is all for him. For

every glass he fills, I put on ten pistoles, in addition to the

regular fee. He shall drink till he is under the table. If that

is the case, replied I, go to your presidentship, and do not

spare the cellar.

 

Then was no proper time to talk about Catalina; but the next

morning I opened the business thus: Friend Scipio, the terms we

are upon entitle me to fair dealing. I have treated you more like

an equal than a servant, consequently you would be much to blame

to cheat me on the footing of a master. Let us, therefore, have

no secrets towards each other. I am going to tell you what will

surprise you; and you on your part shall give me your sincere

opinion about the two women with whom you have brought me

acquainted. Between ourselves, I suspect them to be no better

than they should be; with so much the more of the knave in their

composition, because they affect the simpleton. If my conjecture

be right, the Prince of Spain has no great reason to be delighted

with my activity; for I will own to you frankly, that it was for

him I spoke to you about a mistress. I brought him to see

Catalina, and he is over head and ears in love with her. Sir,

answered Scipio, you have dealt so handsomely by me, that I shall

act upon the square with you. I had yesterday a private inter

view with the abigail, and she gave me a most entertaining

history of the family. You shall have it briefly, though it did

not come briefly to me.

 

Catalina was daughter to a sort of gentleman in Arragon. An

orphan at fifteen, with no fortune but a pretty face, she lent a

complying ear to an officer who carried her off to Toledo, where

he died in six months, having been more like a father than a

husband to her. She collected his effects together, consisting of

their joint wardrobe and three hundred pistoles in ready money,

and then went to housekeeping with Signora Mencia, who was still

in fashion, though a little on the wane. These sisters, every way

but in blood, began at length to attract the attention of the

police. The ladies took umbrage at this, and decamped in dudgeon

for Madrid, where they have been living for these two years,

without making any acquaintance in the neighbourhood. But now

comes the best of the joke: they have taken two small houses

adjoining each other, with a passage of communication through the

cellars. Signora Mencia lives with a servant girl in one of these

houses, and the officer’s widow inhabits the other, with an old

duenna, whom she passes off for her grandmother, so that her

versatile child of nature is sometimes a niece brought up by her

aunt, and sometimes an orphan under her grandam’s fostering wing.

When she enacts the niece, her name is Catalina; and when she

personates the grand-daughter, she calls herself Sirena.

 

At the grating sound of Sirena I turned pale, and interrupted

Scipio, saying — What do you tell me? Alas! it must be so: This

cursed imp of Arragon is Calderona’s charming Siren. To be sure

she is, answered he, the very same! I thought you would be

delighted at the news. Quite the reverse, replied I. It portends

more sorrow than laughter; do not you anticipate the

consequences? None of any ill omen, rejoined Scipio. What is

there to be afraid of? It is not certain that Don Rodrigo will

rub his forehead; and in case any good-natured friend should show

it him in the glass, you had better let the minister into the

secret beforehand. Tell him all the circumstances straightforward

as they happened; he will see that there has been no trick on

your part; and if after that Calderona should attempt to do you

an ill office with his excellency, it will be as clear as

daylight that he is only actuated by a spirit of revenge.

 

Scipio removed all my apprehensions by this advice, which I

followed, in acquainting the Duke of Lerma at once with this

unlucky discovery. My aspect, while telling my tale, was

sorrowful, and my tone faltering, in evidence of my contrition

for having unadvisedly brought the prince and Don Rodrigo into

such close quarters; but the minister was more disposed to roast

his favourite than to pity him. Indeed, he ordered me to let the

matter take its own course, considering it