The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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possession? Fair and softly, sir, answered he, the more haste the
worse speed. It will be necessary for me first to communicate the
affair to the father, and instil the advantage of it into his
capacity. Good! rejoined I with a burst of laughter; is it
thereabouts you are? The match is far advanced in its progress
towards consummation. Much nearer than you suppose, replied he.
But one hour’s conversation with the goldsmith, and I pledge
myself for his consent But, before we go any further, let us come
to an agreement, if you please. Supposing that I should transfer
a hundred thousand ducats to you, what would my commission be?
Twenty thousand! was my answer. Heaven be praised therefore! said
he. I guessed your gratitude at ten thousand; so that it doubles
mine in a similar case. Come on then! I will set this negotiation
on foot to-morrow morning; and you may count upon its success, or
I am little better than one of the foolish ones.
In fact, he said to me two days afterwards, I have spoken to
Signor Gabriel Salero, my friend the goldsmith. On the loud
report of your high desert and credit, he has lent a favourable
ear to my offer of you for a son-in-law. You are to have his
daughter with a hundred thousand ducats, provided you can make it
appear clearly that you are in possession of the minister’s good
graces. Since that is the case, said I confidently to Scipio, I
shall soon be married. But, not entirely to forget the girl, have
you seen her? is she pretty? Not quite so pretty as her fortune,
answered he. Between ourselves, this heiress’s looks are as hard
as her cash. Luckily, you are perfectly indifferent about that.
Stone blind, by the light of the sun, my good fellow! replied I.
As for us whimsical fellows about court, we marry merely for the
sake of marrying. When we want beauty, we look for it in our
friends’ wives; and if, by fates and destinies, the sweets are
wasted on our own, their flavour is so mawkish to our palate,
that there is some merit in their not carrying the commodity to a
foreign market.
This is not all, resumed Scipio: Signor Gabriel hopes for the
pleasure of your company to supper this evening. By agreement,
there is to be no mention of marriage. He has invited several of
his mercantile friends to this entertainment, where you will take
your chance with the rest, and to-morrow he means to sup with you
on the same terms. By this you will perceive his drift of looking
before he leaps. You will do well to be a little on your guard
before him. Oh! for the matter of that, interrupted I with an air
of confidence, let him scrutinize me as closely as he pleases,
the result cannot fail to be in my favour.
All this happened as it was foretold. I was introduced at the
goldsmith’s, who received me with the familiarity of an old
acquaintance. A vulgar dog, but warm; and as troublesome with his
civility as a prude with her virtue. He presented me to Signora
Eugenia his wife, and the youthful Gabriela his daughter. I
opened wide my budget of compliments, without infringing the
treaty, and prattled soft nothings to them, in all the vacuity of
courtly dialogue.
Gabriela, with submission to my secretary’s better taste, was not
altogether so repulsive; whether by dint of being outrageously
bedizened, or because I looked at her in the raree-shew box of
her fortune. A charming house this of Signor Gabriel! There is
less silver, I verily believe, in the Peruvian mines, than under
his roof. That metal presented itself to the view in all
directions, under a thousand different forms. Every room, and
especially that where we were entertained, was a fairy palace.
What a bird’s eye view for a son-in-law! The old codger, to do
the thing genteelly, had collected five or six merchants about
him, all plodding spirit-wearing personages. Their tongues could
only talk of what their hearts were set upon; it was high change
all supper-time; but unfortunately wit was at a discount.
Next night, it was my turn to treat the goldsmith. Not being able
to dazzle him with my sideboard, I had recourse to another
artifice. I invited to supper such of my friends as made the
finest figure at court; hangers-on of state noted for the
unwieldiness of their ambition. These fellows could not talk on
common topics: the brilliant and lucrative posts at which they
aimed were all canvassed in detail; this too made its way. Poor
countinghouse Gabriel, in amazement at the loftiness of their
ideas, shrunk into insignificance, in spite of all his hoards, on
a comparison with these wonderful men. As for me, in all the
plausibility of moderation, I professed to wish for nothing more
than a comfortable fortune; a snug box and a competence:
whereupon these gluttons of the loaves and fishes cried out with
one voice that I was wrong, absolutely criminal; for the prime
minister would do anything upon earth for me, and it was an act
of duty to anoint my fingers with birdlime. My honoured papa
lost not a word of all this; and seemed, at going away, to take
his leave with some complacency.
Scipio went of course the next morning, to ask him how he liked
me. Extremely well indeed, answered the knight of the ledger; the
lad has won my very heart. But, good master Scipio, I conjure you
by our long acquaintance to deal with me as a true friend. We
have all our weak side, as you well know. Tell me where Signor de
Santillane is fallible. Is he fond of play? does he wench? On
what lay are his snug little vices? Do not fight shy, I beset
you. It is very unkind, Signor Gabriel, to put such a question,
retorted the go-between. Your interest is more to me than my
master’s. If he had any slippery propensities, likely to make
your daughter unhappy, would I ever have proposed him as a sonin-law? The deuce a bit! I am too much at your service. But,
between ourselves, he has but one fault; that of being faultless.
He is too wise for a young man. So much the better, replied the
goldsmith; he is the more like me. You may go, my friend, and
tell him he shall have my daughter, and should have her though he
knew no more of the minister than I do.
As soon as my secretary had reported this conversation, I flew to
thank Salero for his partiality. He had already told his mind to
his wife and daughter, who gave me to understand by their
reception, that they yielded without disgust. I carried my
father-in-law to the Duke of Lerma, whom I had informed the
evening before, and presented him with due ceremony. His
excellency gave him a most gracious reception, and congratulated
him on having chosen a man for his son-in-law, for whom he
himself had so great a regard, and meant to do such great things.
Then did he expatiate on my good qualities, and, in fact, said so
much to my honour, that honest Gabriel thought he had met with
the best match in Spain. His joy oozed out at his eyes. On
parting, he pressed me in his arms, and said: My son, I am so
impatient to see you Gabriela’s husband, that the affair shall be
finally settled within a week at latest.
CH. II. — In the progress of political vacancies, Gil Blas
recollects that there is such a man in the world as Don Alphonso
de Leyva; and renders him a service from motives of vanity.
LET us leave my marriage to take care of itself for a season. The
order of events requires me to recount a service rendered to my
old master Don Alphonso. I had entirely forgotten that
gentleman’s existence; but a circumstance recalled it to my
recollection.
The government of Valencia became vacant at this time; and put me
in mind of Don Alphonso de Leyva. I considered within myself that
the employment would suit him to a nicety; and determined to
apply for it on his be half, not so much out of friendship as
ostentation. If I could but procure it for him, it would do me
infinite honour. I told the Duke of Lerma that I had been steward
to Don Caesar de Leyva and his son; and that having every reason
in the world to feel myself obliged to them, I should take it as
a favour if he would give the government of Valencia to one or
other of them. The minister answered: Most willingly, Gil Blas. I
love to see you grateful and generous. Besides, the family stands
very high in my esteem. The Leyvas are loyal subjects; so that
the place cannot be better bestowed. You may take it as a wedding
present, and do what you like with it.
Delighted at the success of my application, I went to Calderona
in a prodigious hurry, to get the patent made out for Don
Alphonso. There was a great crowd, waiting in respectful silence
till Don Rodrigo should come and give audience. I made my way
through, and the closet door opened as if by sympathy. There were
no one knows how many military and civil officers, with other
people of consequence, among whom Calderona was dividing his
attentions. His different reception of different people was
curious. A slight inclination of the head was enough for some;
others he honoured with a profusion of courtly grimace, and bowed
than out of the closet. The proportions of civility were weighed
to a scruple. On the other hand, there were some suitors who,
shocked at his cold indifference, cursed in their secret soul the
necessity for their cringing before such a monkey of an idol.
Others, on the contrary, were laughing in their sleeve at his
gross and self-sufficient air. But the scene was thrown away upon
me; nor was I likely to profit by such a lesson. It was exactly
the counterpart of my own behaviour: and I never thought of
ascertaining whether my deportment was popular or offensive, so
long as there was no violation of outward respect.
Don Rodrigo accidentally casting a look towards me, left a
gentleman, to whom he was speaking, without ceremony, and came to
pay his respects with the most unaccountable tokens of high
consideration. Ah, my dear colleague! exclaimed he, what occasion
procures me the pleasure of seeing you here! Is there anything we
can do for you? I told him my business; whereupon he assured me,
in the most obliging terms, that the affair should be expedited
within four-and-twenty hours. Not satisfied with these
overwhelming condescensions, he conducted me to the door of his
antechamber, whither he never attended any but the nobility of
first rank. His farewell was as flattering as his reception.
What is the meaning of all this palaver? said I while retreating;
has any raven croaked my entrance, and prophesied promotion to
Calderona by my overthrow? Does he really languish for my
friendship? or does he feel the ground giving way under his feet,
and wish to save himself by clinging to the branches of my favour
and protection? It seemed a moot point, which of these
conjectures might be the right. The following day, on my return,
his behaviour was of the same stamp; caresses and civilities
poured in upon me in torrents. It is true that other people who
attempted to speak to him, were ramped in exact proportion with
the blandishments of his face towards me. He snarled at some,
petrified
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